LAREDO, Texas - 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 following an FBI undercover operation.
Who is Christian Estrada?
What we know:
39-year-old Christian Estrada, of Laredo, was arrested on Jan. 8, for coercion and enticement of a minor, according to court records. He was immediately suspended by Texas DPS.
If convicted, the charge ranges from 10 years to life in prison.
Details of the FBI undercover sting in Laredo
Timeline:
According to a criminal complaint and supporting affidavit filed in the case, an FBI online undercover employee began communicating in April 2025 with a Telegram user identified as "dopehound".
Over several months, the user allegedly expressed sexual interest in the undercover agent’s fictitious 12-year-old daughter, asked for nude images and discussed arranging a meeting for sexual activity.
Investigators said the user later communicated directly with someone he believed was the 12-year-old girl, who was also an undercover agent, and requested sexually explicit photos while engaging in what authorities described as sexual grooming.
Texas officials on operations
What they're saying:
The FBI said it identified the Telegram user through records obtained from Reddit and other platforms and linked the account to Estrada, a sworn DPS trooper stationed in Laredo.
According to the affidavit, during a Jan. 8 search of Estrada’s residence, he acknowledged that certain biographical details matched the online accounts and identified the Telegram account as his.
His phone was seized, and agents reported finding additional chats with users who indicated they were 14 and 15 years old.
A judge ordered Estrada detained pending trial, writing that the case involves allegations he propositioned an undercover agent, posing as a parent, to have sex with a fictitious 12-year-old and later communicated directly with the purported child.
The judge also noted the government’s allegation that a search of Estrada’s phone revealed numerous chats with minors.
Federal charges, potential prison sentence
What's next:
Court records say Estrada is charged with a federal offense involving a minor and could face a lengthy prison sentence if convicted.
The criminal case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas while the Texas Department of Public Safety continues its administrative investigation.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by Texas DPS.