San Diego

Twenty-three people, including 12 students, were arrested Monday aftear a six-month undercover drug investigation at Point Loma and Mission Bay high schools.

Police are searching for 18 others. In all, police have identified 41 people who they say sold narcotics to two undercover officers who had been posing as students since September.

Of those who police said sold drugs, 23 are minors and 18 are adults. The 35 males and six females range in age from 14 to 63.

Depending on their criminal history, minors will be detained in Juvenile Hall or released to their parents, and the adults will be booked in County Jail on suspicion of selling drugs, said Police Lt. Skip DiCerchio.

Some of those arrested Monday were on campus at 8 a.m. and were taken into custody for selling cocaine, LSD, marijuana and methamphetamine, DiCerchio said.

Six students were picked up at Mission Bay High School in Pacific Beach, said Principal Barbara Thomas. Police were looking for 12 students, but five had transferred and one was absent, she said.

Melanie Petersen, San Diego Unified School District legal adviser, said six students were arrested at Point Loma High School.

She said school officials approved the undercover operation because of increased drug trafficking at the schools. It was the 15th such operation conducted at district high schools since 1983.

Norma Trost, a school district spokeswoman, said the undercover operation was the first at Mission Bay. In 1985, 22 students were arrested in a similar operation at Point Loma.