4 ms·

>But given that she was carrying frog embryos and not something illegal It was illegal not declaring she was carrying embryos. Wasn't that clear from the arti

>But given that she was carrying frog embryos and not something illegal It was illegal not declaring she was carrying embryos. Wasn't that clear from the article?

ceejayoz 2y ago
> At first, Ms. Petrova said, her re-entry felt normal. At passport control, an officer examined the J-1 visa that Harvard had sponsored, identifying her as a biomedical researcher. The officer stamped her passport, admitting her to the country. > Then, as she headed toward the baggage claim, a Border Patrol officer approached her and asked to search her suitcase. All she could think was that the embryo samples inside would be ruined; RNA degrades easily. She explained that she didn’t know the rules. The officer was polite, she recalled, and told her she would be allowed to leave. I can't speak for Boston, but every American airport I've traveled through internationally has had you pick up bags at the baggage claim, then take it to customs. (After all, a bag search may be involved; you can't really declare something in your bag if you don't have your bag.) This timeline of events seems odd.
- wildzzz 2y ago
  At Dulles, you pickup your bags after customs. If they want to search your bags, they will regardless.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - ceejayoz 2y ago
    The maps at https://www.atacarnet.com/sites/default/files/documents/airport_maps/IAD_Airport_Map_-_US_Version.pdf https://www.atacarnet.com/sites/default/files/documents/airp... and https://www.ana.co.jp/en/jp/guide/prepare/airport-guide/international/iad.html https://www.ana.co.jp/en/jp/guide/prepare/airport-guide/inte... say otherwise. Immigration (can you enter) --> international baggage claim --> customs (can your stuff enter) --> transfer bag drop. edit: Same setup for Boston, it seems? https://www.jal.co.jp/jp/en/inter/airport/bos/info/ https://www.jal.co.jp/jp/en/inter/airport/bos/info/ Immigration: "Customs declaration form - not required" Then baggage claim, then... Customs: "Please show your passport and customs declaration form. (Your customs declaration form will be collected here.) If you have any items to declare, please declare them to an official."
    - absolutelastone 2y ago
      I do kind of recall the last US airport I went through internationally that there was weirdly no customs lanes or anything after baggage claim, just big one-way doors. Not that you can reach that point without stating your declarations on the record. I think it was one of the kiosk stages.
    - wildzzz 2y ago
      I really don't recall anyone standing at the spot labeled customs on that first map. Although I do recall lots of k9 handlers walking around, presumably to catch anyone that didn't declare their food/drugs/cash.
- twoodfin 2y ago
  My experience has been that you’re asked if you have anything to declare in some form when you go through immigration/passport control.

>But given that she was carrying frog embryos and not something illegal It was illegal not declaring she was carrying embryos. Wasn't that clear from the article?

ceejayoz 2y ago

> At first, Ms. Petrova said, her re-entry felt normal. At passport control, an officer examined the J-1 visa that Harvard had sponsored, identifying her as a biomedical researcher. The officer stamped her passport, admitting her to the country. > Then, as she headed toward the baggage claim, a Border Patrol officer approached her and asked to search her suitcase. All she could think was that the embryo samples inside would be ruined; RNA degrades easily. She explained that she didn’t know the rules. The officer was polite, she recalled, and told her she would be allowed to leave. I can't speak for Boston, but every American airport I've traveled through internationally has had you pick up bags at the baggage claim, then take it to customs. (After all, a bag search may be involved; you can't really declare something in your bag if you don't have your bag.) This timeline of events seems odd.

wildzzz 2y ago
At Dulles, you pickup your bags after customs. If they want to search your bags, they will regardless.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- ceejayoz 2y ago
  The maps at https://www.atacarnet.com/sites/default/files/documents/airport_maps/IAD_Airport_Map_-_US_Version.pdf https://www.atacarnet.com/sites/default/files/documents/airp... and https://www.ana.co.jp/en/jp/guide/prepare/airport-guide/international/iad.html https://www.ana.co.jp/en/jp/guide/prepare/airport-guide/inte... say otherwise. Immigration (can you enter) --> international baggage claim --> customs (can your stuff enter) --> transfer bag drop. edit: Same setup for Boston, it seems? https://www.jal.co.jp/jp/en/inter/airport/bos/info/ https://www.jal.co.jp/jp/en/inter/airport/bos/info/ Immigration: "Customs declaration form - not required" Then baggage claim, then... Customs: "Please show your passport and customs declaration form. (Your customs declaration form will be collected here.) If you have any items to declare, please declare them to an official."
  - absolutelastone 2y ago
    I do kind of recall the last US airport I went through internationally that there was weirdly no customs lanes or anything after baggage claim, just big one-way doors. Not that you can reach that point without stating your declarations on the record. I think it was one of the kiosk stages.
  - wildzzz 2y ago
    I really don't recall anyone standing at the spot labeled customs on that first map. Although I do recall lots of k9 handlers walking around, presumably to catch anyone that didn't declare their food/drugs/cash.
twoodfin 2y ago
My experience has been that you’re asked if you have anything to declare in some form when you go through immigration/passport control.