FAKE NEWS DID IT AGAIN: NBC Spins Emotional Tale About ICE Arrest — But They Left Out What This Harvard Scientist Really Did

Monroe, LA – The Trump administration has once again called out corporate media, this time dismantling an NBC News sob story about Kseniia Petrova, a 30-year-old Russian-born Harvard scientist detained by ICE in February 2025. NBC’s April 22 report painted Petrova as a victim of Trump’s immigration policies, claiming her detention at Richwood Correctional Center jeopardized cancer research breakthroughs. But a DHS revelation on X (@DHSgov) on April 21 exposes what NBC omitted: Petrova smuggled undeclared biological materials and lied to federal officers, a detail that has conservatives on X, like @MAGAForce2024, slamming the outlet: “Fake news caught lying again—Petrova’s no victim!”

NBC’s article described Petrova, a Kirschner Lab researcher, as a key figure in microscope technology for cancer detection, suggesting her detention risks “dire consequences” for global medicine. It highlighted her fear of persecution in Russia for protesting the Ukraine war, quoting her saying, “We are in this machine, and it doesn’t care if you have a visa… It just keeps going.” The piece, which garnered sympathy from left-leaning outlets like The Times of India on April 22 [], failed to mention the reason for her arrest: Petrova smuggled Petri dishes, unknown substances, and frog embryo vials into the U.S., violating federal law, and lied about it, per DHS []. Her phone messages, cited in the DHS post, reveal she planned to “sneak these items in without declaring them.”

The individual was lawfully detained after lying to federal officers about carrying substances into the country.

A subsequent K9 inspection uncovered undeclared petri dishes, containers of unknown substances, and loose vials of embryonic frog cells, all without proper permits.… https://t.co/T0bFUZUs01

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) April 22, 2025

Conservatives on X are livid at NBC’s omission. @PatriotPulse wrote, “NBC wants you to cry for Petrova, but she broke the law—smuggling bio materials and lying to feds!” @America1stMAGA added, “Trump’s DHS isn’t playing—Petrova’s only got herself to blame!” Petrova’s first immigration hearing occurred on April 23 in Louisiana, with her lawyer, Gregory Romanovsky, telling NBC they expect clarity on her asylum claim, which hinges on her anti-war protests, a claim complicated by Russia’s 2025 law criminalizing dissent, per BBC []. Yet, conservatives see her actions as a security risk, not a sob story, with @JusticeForAll22 noting, “She smuggled unknown substances—what was she really up to?”

The Trump administration’s swift debunking—88,763 deportations since January 2025, per DHS []—shows their commitment to exposing media narratives, a win for conservatives who see NBC’s selective reporting as proof of bias. “Corporate media won’t tell the truth because it doesn’t fit their anti-Trump agenda,” wrote @MAGAForce2024. Petrova’s case, now under scrutiny, has become a rallying cry for Trump supporters demanding accountability from both lawbreakers and the press.

Michelle M.

Michelle is an American conservative author she is committed to the constitutional principles of individual freedom, economic liberty, limited government, personal responsibility, and traditional values. She is a libertarian and provocateur who believes in freedom and liberty for all Americans. As a passionate journalist, she works relentlessly to uncover the corruption happening in Washington, while exposing politicians and individuals who wish to do us harm.

www.rightjournalism.com/