A federal judge has dismissed the charges against Kseniia Petrova, a Harvard scientist originally from Russia, who was accused of smuggling frog embryos into the United States. This ruling came from District Judge Leo T. Sorokin in Massachusetts, shortly after federal prosecutors requested the charges be dropped.
The petition to drop the charges was filed just a day before the judge’s decision, following an April ruling from a federal magistrate judge that permitted Petrova to present evidence suggesting she was being unfairly targeted in this prosecution.
Although prosecutors claimed Petrova’s assertions of vindictive prosecution lacked merit, they noted that revealing evidence to counter these claims would involve disclosing sensitive information about Customs and Border Protection’s investigative techniques. Daniel N. Marx, Petrova’s attorney, expressed relief at the dismissal, stating that his client had shown remarkable courage throughout the ordeal.
Marx condemned the Department of Justice for initiating what he termed an “unusual ‘smuggling’ prosecution” against Petrova, who he described as a dedicated researcher at Harvard focused on advancing medical research into aging.
Petrova was detained by immigration authorities at Boston’s Logan Airport in February 2025 after she returned from Paris, leading to the revocation of her J-1 visa and her placement in immigration proceedings. Earlier this year, a judge ruled that her visa cancellation was unlawful.
According to her attorney, the items in question—non-toxic, non-living frog embryos—never posed any threat to public safety. Marx stated that two federal judges acknowledged the peculiarities surrounding Petrova’s case, which warranted further scrutiny into whether the Department of Homeland Security and DOJ had unfairly targeted her.
While this critical question remains unanswered, Marx welcomed the DOJ’s decision to dismiss the charges, marking a significant turning point in Petrova’s legal battle.
Photo credit: Leah Willingham
