ICE arrests Russian national smuggling biological material into Boston

BOSTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a Russian national on criminal charges for allegedly attempting to smuggle clawed frog embryos and embryonic samples into the United States.

Kseniia Petrova, 31, a Russian citizen, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of smuggling goods into the United States. Petrova was taken into immigration custody on Feb. 16, 2025, and arrested May 14 by ICE Homeland Security Investigations special agents on the criminal charge.

“As alleged in the evidence presented in the charging documents, Petrova was aware of her requirement to declare biological material brought into the United States. These laws aren’t arbitrary, they protect the safety of the public from dangerous and unregulated biological specimens entering the country and posing a threat to public health and agriculture. Nobody is exempt from these regulations, and nobody should be surprised to find these critical laws being enforced when they’re willfully broken,” said ICE HSI New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol.

According to the charging documents, on Feb. 16, 2025, Petrova arrived at Logan International Airport in Boston via an inbound flight from Paris. Upon her arrival, Petrova was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents after a law enforcement canine allegedly alerted its handler to the defendant’s checked duffel bag on the baggage carousel. Per protocol, law enforcement removed the bag from the carousel and brought it to an agricultural secondary inspection area for further screening. There, an officer inspected the contents of the bag and allegedly discovered the biological items: a foam box containing clawed frog embryos in microcentrifuges, as well as embryonic samples in paraffin well stages and on mounted dyed slides. All biological products require a permit for entry and require the individual to make a declaration to CBP at the port of first arrival.

It is alleged that, when approached by law enforcement, Petrova initially denied carrying any biological material in her checked baggage. However, when asked again, Petrova allegedly admitted that she was carrying biological material. During an interview under oath, Petrova allegedly claimed to be unsure that she was required to declare biological material when entering the United States.

According to the charging documents, however, Petrova’s phone revealed text messages from an individual identified as one of Petrova’s colleagues informing Petrova that she was required to declare the biological material:

“if you bring samples or antibody back, make sure you get the permission etc. Like that link I sent to leon-/group chat about frog embryos because TSA went through my bags at customs in Boston;” and

“What is your plan to pass the American Customs with samples? This is the most delicate place of the trajectory.”

It is alleged that in another text message conversation with an individual identified as her principal investigator, Petrova was asked how she planned to get through customs with the biological samples, to which she replied: “No plan yet. I won’t be able to swallow them.”

Petrova was thereafter advised that she was ineligible for entry to the United States. It is alleged that, when asked if she wished to willingly withdraw her application for admission, Petrova responded in the affirmative before being taken into custody by immigration officials.

According to the charging documents, the defendant was recently employed by the Institute of Genetic Biology in Moscow from 2023 to 2024 and previously served as a bioinformatician of genetic disorders at the Moscow Center for Genetics from 2016 to 2023.

The charge of smuggling goods into the United States provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a term of up to five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

HSI New England’s National Security group and CBP New England led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by HSI New Orleans and the U.S. Marshals Service in Louisiana.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.gov)