MOSCOW, March 30. /TASS/. Two Russian citizens detained in January for allegedly trespassing into the Camp Pendleton military base in California remain in immigration detention as of over two months later, according to information from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) database.

Ksenia Petrova, a Russian scientist affiliated with Harvard University, is also detained in the United States while awaiting trial. She faces charges related to smuggling frog embryos and has been under investigation since May 2025.

Below are the key facts regarding the Russian women held in the US:

Entry into the Military Base and Detention

- Natalia Dudina and Kristina Malyshko were apprehended on January 17 at the main entrance of Camp Pendleton. An ICE official confirmed to TASS that both women were in the country illegally.

- According to ICE, the women entered the United States on December 11, 2021, via the San Ysidro land port of entry along the Mexican border.

- They are currently in custody at the Otay Mesa Immigration Detention Center in San Diego, with ICE stating that they will remain detained until the ongoing investigation concludes.

- The ICE official indicated that Dudina faces possible deportation. Notably, she was detained by Los Angeles police in 2023 on charges of domestic violence and assault but was subsequently released.

Allegations of Smuggling and Petrova’s Case

- Ksenia Petrova was arrested upon arrival at Boston Airport, as announced by the US Department of Justice on May 15.

- US Customs and Border Protection officers seized her luggage for inspection, discovering a box containing clawed frog embryos.

- During questioning, Petrova stated uncertainty about whether she was required to declare the biological material.

- The smuggling charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

- Petrova was released on bail in June 2025 and is currently awaiting trial.