A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper stationed in Laredo is facing a federal child enticement charge after an FBI undercover operation allegedly caught him trying to meet and solicit sexual images from someone he thought was 12 years old. Federal court records identify the trooper as 39-year-old Christian Estrada and state that the online sting stretched from April through December 2025. The indictment accuses Estrada of coercion and enticement of a minor, a federal offense that can carry a potentially decades-long prison term.
What investigators allege
According to Beaumont Enterprise, an affidavit filed in the Southern District of Texas says a user going by “dopehound” discussed meeting the purported child, repeatedly requested explicit images, and claimed to have previously had sex with a 13-year-old. Investigators say the online interactions began in April 2025 with an FBI undercover employee and escalated over several months as the account pushed to move conversations from public posts into direct messages. The complaint cites screenshots and other digital records that the FBI says connect that online activity to Estrada.
Digital trail and Reddit subpoena
Local reporting and court filings reviewed by KNUE show that agents subpoenaed Reddit and received a Dec. 16, 2025, response that helped link the “dopehound” account to a residence in north Laredo. The affidavit also details a Nov. 28, 2025, exchange in which the account allegedly began messaging what it believed to be a 12-year-old on Snapchat and asked for “sexy pics.”
Search warrant, arrest and court status
Federal agents executed a search warrant at Estrada’s home on Jan. 8, 2026, seized his phone and arrested him the following day, with a grand jury returning an indictment on Feb. 3, according to court records. Fox4 reports that agents found multiple Snapchat conversations with profiles listing ages of 14 and 15. A judge ordered Estrada detained after a Jan. 21 hearing, and local outlets report that the Texas Department of Public Safety has suspended him while it carries out an administrative review.
Legal implications
Prosecutors charged Estrada under federal laws that criminalize using interstate communications to coerce or entice a minor. The statute, 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b), carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and allows for a sentence of up to life imprisonment, according to the statute text on Cornell Law School’s LII. Court filings and local reporting list a final pre-trial conference on April 7, 2026, according to KNUE. Estrada remains in federal custody.
The Texas Department of Public Safety did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Beaumont Enterprise notes, while regional reporting indicates the agency has suspended Estrada from duty. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, and Hoodline will monitor new filings and the April pre-trial date for updates.
