A 46-year-old detective with the North Bergen Police Department, Christopher Orellana, was arrested on Monday, August 4, as part of a broad narcotics investigation targeting law enforcement officials across Hudson County.
Orellana faces charges of conspiracy to possess cocaine, according to Acting Hudson County Prosecutor Wayne Mello. The arrest took place at the North Bergen Police Department.
This latest arrest follows the detention of six others last week, including three Town of West New York employees, all charged with possession of cocaine. The investigation has led to the seizure of more than four kilograms of suspected cocaine, two handguns, seven vehicles, and over $70,000 in cash.
Previously arrested individuals linked to this probe include Thomas Mannion, a retired West New York police detective; Ileana Hernandez, a West New York Police Department dispatcher; and Marquis Santiago, a Hudson County Correctional Police Officer.
Orellana, who joined the North Bergen Police Department in 2013 after graduating from the Union County Police Academy, has served both in the patrol division and detective bureau. He was honored as Officer of the Month twice, in 2016 and 2022. This arrest marks a significant development in the ongoing narcotics investigation shaking Hudson County law enforcement.
