Russian scientist Kseniia Petrova, who already faces deportation, accused of contraband frogs in us in us

Boston -A Russian scientist and researcher at Harvard University, who already faced the deportation of return to Russia, was accused Wednesday of trying to smuggle frog embryos to the country. Kseniia Petrova, 30, was sent to an Immigration and Customs Compliance Center in the United States in Louisiana after her arrest in February. She continues to wait for a judge’s decision about whether she will be deported to Russia, where she fears being imprisoned or worse. A audience about his case was held on Wednesday in Vermont.

But in the last turn of the case, federal prosecutors accused her of a position of smuggling of goods in the United States. He says he was arrested on Wednesday. If it is convicted, Petrova faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $ 250,000.

A Petrova lawyer could not be contacted to comment. It is not clear if it is being transferred from the ice installation.

Petrova had been on vacation in France, where he stopped in a laboratory specializing in splicing sections of frog embryos and obtained a sampling package that will be used for the investigation.

When it went through a Customs control point and border protection from the USA at Boston Logan International Airport, Petrova was interrogated about the samples. Petrova told The News in an interview last month that he did not realize that the articles needed to be declared and that he was not trying to sneak into anything. After an interrogation, Petrova was told that his visa was being canceled.

“The truth is on my side,” said Petrova, who spoke with the AP in a video call from the Louisian ice arrest center in Monroe.

The National Security Department said in a statement on the social platform X that Petrova was arrested after “lying to federal officers about bringing substances to the country.” They allege the messages on their phone “they revealed that he planned to smuggle the materials through customs without declaring them.”

Federal prosecutors said Petrova was arrested by customs agents and border protection after a police canine alerted them to their canvas bag. After inspection, frog embryos were discovered in a foam box. Initially he denied having taken any biological material in his luggage to control, prosecutors said, but then recognized him.

Petrova’s boss and mentor, Leon Peshkin, said in an interview last month that the samples were not dangerous or biohazes.

“I don’t think it’s done wrong,” Peshkin told the AP. “But even if I did, at most I should have received a warning or perhaps a fine of up to $ 500.”

Harvard said in a statement that the university “continues to monitor the situation.”

Petrova told the AP that he left his country to avoid conflicts or possible political repression. She fled later Russia invaded Ukraine In February 2022, marking the beginning of a bloody three -year war.

“If I return, I’m afraid it will be imprisoned due to my political position and my position against war,” Petrova said.

The case of Petrova is being closely observed by the scientific community, and some fear that it may affect the recruitment and retention of foreign scientists in American universities.

“I think there is an incorrect perception that foreign scientists have a privilege of being in the United States. I feel it is the opposite,” said Peshkin. “Foreign scientists come here with gifts … They are highly qualified experts who have demand. They enrich with the American scientific community.”

In:
• Cancer research
• USA
• Russia
• Customs and border protection of the USA.
• Harvest
• Frogs