A Hilo woman will appear in federal court Thursday following her arrest in connection with an alleged conspiracy to ship methamphetamine and fentanyl to Hawaii from California and Mexico and sell it.

Mikki M. Matsuyama and Elias Peace, also of Hilo, were arrested Friday and charged by criminal complaint with one count each of conspiracy to distribute and posses with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

They made their initial appearance Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Wes Reber Porter. Matsuyama’s detention hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Thursday. Peace’s detention hearing is scheduled for Aug. 22 at 9:30 a.m. in Reber Porter’s court.

In a motion to detain Matsuyama without bail, Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren W.K. Ching noted that Matsuyama committed the alleged drug offense, each punishable by more than 10 years in federal prison, while she was already “on probation or parole.”

On Aug. 5, the Hawaii Police Department informed Homeland Security Investigations that a routine inspection of inbound parcels at the United Parcel Service Facility in Hilo turned up a box that looked like what dealers use to ship drugs into Hawaii.

A Hawaii police narcotics detection dog named “Axel” inspected the parcel and “exhibited a change in behavior indicating the presence of an odor of narcotics,” according to the criminal complaint. A search warrant revealed that the “brown rectangular small “THE HOME DEPOT” cardboard box measuring approximately 11.5” x 17” x 11” was sent from the “UPS Store #7381 in Santa Fe Springs, California” and addressed to “Mikki Naru” of 445 Desha Avenue in Hilo.

A search of the box revealed a black, plastic Harbor Freight Tools Tactical Ammo Box with a layer of spray foam that concealed three sealed bags containing 1,377 grams of methamphetamine, and a large quantity of blue tablets with a “M/30” imprint on them.

The tablets were weighed on a digital scale and found to be approximately 110 grams and tested positive for fentanyl, according to federal court documents.

A tracking device was put in the package and it was re-wrapped with fake meth and delivered by undercover officers to the carport where Matsuyama and Peace allegedly lived at 2 p.m. on Aug. 8.

At about 5:10 p.m. Peace and Matsuyama got into a Silver Mazda and drove away.

Police officers tailing the Mazda received a digital notice from the tracking device that the box was opened. Officers found the box and its contents strewn on the roadway fronting 396 Nahalea Avenue in Hilo.

Two days later, Peace was arrested at 445 Desha Avenue. Matsuyama turned herself in later that day.

Matsuyama allegedly told officers that she accepted at least four shipments of drugs weighing a total of five pounds and her supplier is a Mexican male named “Jay” who instructed her to pay for the drugs by wiring money in increments of $1,000 or $2,000 to him in Mexico, according to the federal criminal complaint.

Matsuyama allegedly told Peace that the box was supposed to contain a “couple of pounds of methamphetamine and 1,000 pills of fentanyl.”