Ivy League bio smuggling suspect with ties to American adversary gets break from federal judge
A Russian-born scientist and Harvard University cancer researcher accused of smuggling frog embryos into the United States has been released following four months in federal custody Thursday.
Kseniia Petrova, 30, was arrested in February after returning from a vacation in France, where she had obtained a package of superfine sections of frog embryos from a laboratory for research. Upon arriving at Boston Logan International Airport, Petrova was questioned by U.S. Customs and Border Protection regarding the materials.
"I just want to thank everybody," Petrova said on the steps of the federal courthouse in Boston following her release. "A lot of people started contacting me and sending me letters, and it was a huge support without which I won't be able to survive."
Following the interview, the researcher was informed her visa was being canceled.
The Department of Homeland Security previously said in a statement posted on social media that Petrova was arrested for "lying to federal officers about carrying substances into the country," adding that messages on her phone "revealed she planned to smuggle the materials through customs without declaring them."
The Department of Homeland Security and Harvard University did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
In an April interview with The Associated Press, Petrova said she was unaware the samples needed to be declared upon her return and insisted she was not trying to smuggle anything into the country.
Petrova was initially detained by immigration officials in Vermont before being sent to a facility in Louisiana. In May, she was formally charged with smuggling in Massachusetts, with a federal judge in Vermont setting a hearing date on her petition seeking release.
The federal judge in Vermont later ruled that the actions of the immigration officers were unlawful and that Petrova "posed a threat to no one." She was subsequently released from ICE custody but remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service due to the smuggling charge.
On Thursday, Magistrate Judge Judith Dein approved an agreement between federal prosecutors and Petrova's immigration attorney, effectively releasing the researcher but limiting her ability to travel while maintaining custody of her passport.
"I hear it's sunny," Dein told Petrova after her release. "Goodbye."
Petrova's colleagues have previously testified on her behalf, telling the court she is conducting valuable research that aids in searching for a cure for cancer.
Greg Romanovsky, the immigration attorney representing Petrova, said his client has not "decided whether she wants to stay in the United States yet."
"She has offers from different countries around the world, countries that are eager to support the important research that she's doing," he said. "She's weighing her options at the moment, and she's very grateful to be out."
Romanovsky did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Under the conditions of her release, Petrova must report any contact with law enforcement – including ICE – to her supervising officer within 24 hours, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
Petrova is scheduled to return to court next week for a probable cause hearing regarding the smuggling charge.
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