From a purely non-expert, external view, this looks like clickbait. According to the article itself, 1. she tried to smuggle undeclared research material into t

From a purely non-expert, external view, this looks like clickbait. According to the article itself, 1. she tried to smuggle undeclared research material into the US, knowingly (according to messages in her phone); 2. she was given the options and picked the one she wanted; 3. She claimed credible fear and was put into the right pipeline for that; 4. She is now waiting for the next step in the process. To be honest this doesn’t look like anything remotely as disturbing as being accosted and kidnapped by masked plain-clothes agents in broad daylight.