CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A 24-year-old Mexican national has been sentenced to federal prison for producing child pornography in Laredo, Texas.
Erasmo Alexandro Rodriguez-Estrada pleaded guilty Dec. 2, 2025, and has now been sentenced to 188 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge John Kazen. Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck announced the sentence.
At the sentencing hearing, the court considered letters detailing the psychological harm the victim suffered. In handing down the prison term, the court noted the seriousness of the crime and its consequences.
Rodriguez-Estrada will also be required to register as a sex offender and must comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
The investigation began May 19, 2025, when authorities discovered the whereabouts of a minor previously reported as a runaway. Upon speaking with the young female, law enforcement observed multiple hematomas on her neck and learned she had spent the previous night with Rodriguez-Estrada.
Rodriguez-Estrada sent the minor a friend request on social media before their sexual involvement. Authorities seized his electronic device and uncovered 5 videos of the two engaging in sexual acts. The investigation revealed Rodriguez-Estrada knew the victim's age at the time of the encounters.
Rodriguez-Estrada is a citizen and national of Mexico who had been previously removed from the United States in December 2024 and had been illegally residing in Laredo. As a non-U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined.
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa A. Lopez prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page [justice.gov]. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page [justice.gov].
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