12 charged in Angleton High School drug sting Officer posed as a student in the investigation

Ten Angleton High students were arrested on drug charges on Wednesday, the result of a four-month investigation that included an undercover officer posing as a student, authorities said. Two former students were also arrested.

The students were arrested at 9:15 a.m. at the high school. The former students, both adults, were arrested off campus, said Lt. Chris Reioux, head of the Brazoria County Sheriff's Office narcotics division.

Twenty-eight charges related to selling marijuana and prescription drugs were filed.

The students arrested included five adults and five juveniles. Names of the adults have not been released.

The Angleton Independent School District initiated the investigation, working with the sheriff's office and the school district police department, Reioux said.

"Basically the school district reached out to us," he said. "We provided the undercover officer and funded the operation and they took care of getting the officer enrolled in the school."

Reioux said he didn't want to divulge whether the undercover officer posing as a student was male or female but said the person was "very young looking."

A statement on the school district website Wednesday said the district's commitment "to providing a safe and drug-free environment for our students" is evident in several programs, including a mandatory drug-testing program implemented earlier this school year.

The district also posted a copy of a letter sent home with high school students Wednesday, which said in part:

"We are sad that our students made such poor choices and are facing such serious consequences. But our hope is that they will use this as a costly learning experience and decide to stay away from using, selling or buying drugs."

Pot, prescription drugs

The letter, signed by Superintendent Patricia Montgomery and high school principals Jerry Crowell and Colleen Tribble, noted that the drugs sold were marijuana and prescription drugs.

"It is essential that our children understand that prescription drugs are dangerous and, used without medical supervision and/or with other drugs or alcohol, can be deadly," the letter stated.

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