Texas DPS Trooper Indicted on Federal Charge of Enticing Minor in Undercover Sting

LAREDO, TX — A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper has been indicted on a federal charge accusing him of attempting to entice someone he believed was a 12-year-old girl into sexual activity, according to reporting made by the Laredo Morning Times. 

Christian Estrada, 39, of Laredo, faces one count of coercion and enticement of a minor. The offense allegedly occurred from April 1, 2025, through Jan. 8, 2026, in the Southern District of Texas and elsewhere. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life. 

Estrada was arrested Jan. 9 following an FBI undercover operation. He remains in federal custody pending trial in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. No trial date has been set. 

The case began in April 2025 when an FBI undercover employee contacted Estrada, using the username "dopehound" on Reddit, Snapchat, and Telegram, according to a criminal complaint and supporting affidavit. 

Over several months, Estrada allegedly expressed sexual interest in the agent's fictitious 12-year-old daughter, discussed arranging a meeting for sexual activity, requested explicit images, and claimed he had previously had sex with a 13-year-old in a nearby city. 

By November 2025, he sought direct communication with the purported child, providing a Snapchat account. On Nov. 28, he initiated contact with an account posing as a 12-year-old girl and continued discussions involving sexual topics and requests for explicit images. 

Investigators linked the accounts to Estrada through records from Reddit and other platforms, including IP logs traced to his residence, biographical details matching his high school, graduation year, age, address, and employment as a DPS trooper stationed in Laredo for 16 years. 

During a Jan. 8 search of his home, Estrada acknowledged the Telegram account was his and that no one else in his household would be responsible for the messages. Agents seized his phone, which revealed numerous chats with users indicating they were 14 and 15 years old, including one handle titled "15 for older."

A magistrate judge ordered Estrada detained Jan. 21, citing strong evidence from the undercover operation and concerns for community safety. The judge noted allegations that Estrada propositioned the agent, posing as a parent, to have sex with the fictitious child and later communicated directly with the purported minor. 

A grand jury returned the indictment Feb. 3, including a forfeiture notice for a black tablet. 

Estrada is married with two children, ages 16 and 12, and has family ties in Mexico. He offered to reside alone on a ranch if released on bond, but the court denied pretrial release. 

Texas DPS suspended Estrada. The agency continues its administrative investigation, according to a report made by Fox26 Houston.