Las Vegas police arrest officer suspected of marijuana trafficking

A Las Vegas police officer was arrested Thursday after an investigation into whether he was “involved in trafficking narcotics,” police said Friday.

The Metropolitan Police Department said Jesus Najera, who has worked for the department since 2016, was arrested on Thursday, along with his brother-in-law, 46-year-old Eduardo Garcia. The investigation that led to their arrest began “a few months ago,” after police received a report of an officer involved in drug trafficking.

Detectives determined both men had “participated in the preparation, transportation and sales of marijuana,” the department said Friday. They were arrested Thursday without incident.

Both men were booked into the Clark County Detention Center with a $15,000 bail, court records show.

Najera, 34, faces felony counts of marijuana trafficking, trafficking schedule one substances, drug possession and three counts of conspiracy to violate the Uniformed Controlled Substances Act, court records show. Garcia faces two counts of conspiracy to violate the act, as well as two counts of selling or transporting drugs, trafficking marijuana between 100 and 2,000 pounds, trafficking schedule one substances and unlawfully producing more than 12 marijuana plants.

At least one of the charges that Najera faces related to cocaine, Metro said.

Najera had been assigned to the downtown area command’s tourist safety division, police said. On Thursday, he was relieved of duty and placed on administrative leave.

Both men are scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.

Contct Katelyn Newebrg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.