A federal judge on Thursday granted bail to Kseniia Petrova, a Russian-born scientist and Harvard University researcher, who faces charges of smuggling frog embryos into the United States. Petrova, 30, had been held in federal custody since her arrest in February.

Petrova was returning to the U.S. from a vacation in France when U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Boston Logan International Airport discovered frog embryos in her possession. She had obtained the samples from a laboratory specializing in slicing superfine sections of frog embryos for research purposes. Petrova stated in an April interview with The Associated Press that she was unaware the samples needed to be declared and denied any intention to conceal them from authorities.

Under U.S. federal law, smuggling is defined as knowingly importing goods or substances into the country without proper declaration, typically to evade duties, regulations, or prohibitions. Travelers entering the United States must declare all biological materials, including research samples, at customs. Failure to do so can lead to penalties, seizures, and criminal charges, depending on the nature of the items and the intent of the individual.

Initially detained by immigration officials in Vermont, Petrova filed a legal petition seeking her release. Subsequently, she was transferred to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Louisiana. The Department of Homeland Security alleged on social media that Petrova lied to federal officers and accused her of intending to smuggle the biological samples without declaring them, referencing incriminating messages found on her phone.

In May, Petrova was formally charged with smuggling in Massachusetts as her case was reviewed by a federal judge in Vermont. The judge later determined that immigration officials acted unlawfully, emphasizing that the embryos were nonliving, nonhazardous, and posed no threat. Petrova was subsequently released from ICE custody, though she remains under the supervision of the U.S. Marshals Service pending the smuggling charges.

Support for Petrova has emerged from colleagues and academic peers who highlighted the importance of her research efforts, particularly her contributions toward potential cancer treatments.