A federal judge has granted the Justice Department's request to dismiss the criminal case against Kseniia Petrova, a Russian researcher at Harvard University accused of smuggling frog embryos into the United States. The DOJ had charged Petrova in May 2025 over the undeclared biological samples, which were described as noninfectious and non-toxic.
Prosecutors stated in court filings that continuing the prosecution would "divert significant time and attention from more substantial federal interests." They added, "At this stage, the resource costs of continuing this prosecution outweigh the public interest in its resolution."
Petrova was detained at Boston's Logan International Airport in February 2025 while carrying the undeclared frog embryos. She was held in immigration custody during a period when the Trump administration was revoking student visas as part of an immigration crackdown. Although ordered released from custody a month after being charged, she continued to face legal proceedings.
William Fick, Petrova's attorney, expressed his satisfaction with the dismissal, telling ABC News that the Justice Department "never should have brought this highly unusual smuggling prosecution." He added that while an important question about whether Petrova was unfairly targeted by Homeland Security and the DOJ would not be answered, he was pleased the department reached the "appropriate conclusion."
Petrova, while detained in a Louisiana facility, told ABC News that she believed her detainment was excessive and felt her case exemplified a system that "doesn't work."