The Harvard University scientist accused of smuggling frog embryos into the United States was slapped with additional federal charges this week.
Russian-born scientist Kseniia Petrova, 30, was indicted by a Boston federal grand jury on one count of concealment of a material fact, one count of smuggling goods into the U.S. and one count of false statement.
Petrova, a scientist studying cancer research at Harvard, was initially charged with smuggling last month and will remain on pretrial release despite the new charges, according to Fox News.
Petrova was arrested after she was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at Boston Logan International Airport while returning from a vacation to France in February. Petrova told officers she had picked up a package of superfine sections of frog embryos while on her trip with the intention of using the samples for research.
Federal prosecutors allege text messages from Petrova’s phone reveal a colleague informed the scientist she was required to declare the biological materials prior to traveling through TSA, according to the Department of Justice. (RELATED: Report: Chinese Couple Facing Conspiracy Charges For Smuggling Potential ‘Bio-Weapon’ Into US)
“If you bring samples or antibody back, make sure you get the permission etc,” the friend reportedly texted Petrova before her trip. “Like that link I sent to [the group chat] about frog embryos because TSA went through my bags at customs in Boston.”
If convicted, Petrova faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the smuggling charge, and up to five years in prison and an additional $250,000 on charges of concealment of material fact and false statements.
Authorities arrested multiple Chinese researchers for allegedly smuggling unauthorized biological materials this month. (RELATED: Wuhan Researcher Arrested In US For Alleged Biological Material Smuggling)
The FBI revealed in a criminal complaint that on June 8, 2025, Chengxuan Han, a Ph.D. student from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, was detained at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Authorities allege Han previously mailed four packages containing biological materials related to roundworms to individuals affiliated with a University of Michigan laboratory between September 2024 and March 2025.
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