Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site on September 23, 2026.
Zapata County, Texas, has about 14,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person kept in custody after an arrest in Zapata County is held at the county jail, run by the Zapata County Sheriff's Office, and the jail's record of each person held is a public record. This guide says where to look for someone in custody, what the jail holds and who books people into it.
This guide covers the search, the jail, who books people, state prison and common questions.
Related guides: Zapata County public records, Zapata County arrest records, Zapata County warrants, Zapata County criminal records, Zapata County court records, Texas arrest records and Texas inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in Zapata County
A person kept in custody after an arrest in Zapata County is held at the county jail, run by the Zapata County Sheriff's Office, whichever agency made the arrest.
SearchSystems opened and checked the jail page of the Zapata County Sheriff's Office at co.zapata.tx.us/page/zapata.sheriff (page title: Zapata County, Texas), phone 956.765.9960, 200 E. 7th Ave., Ste. 415 Zapata, TX 78076, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
That page is the office's jail information page rather than a roster, so a search for a particular person goes through the office at 956.765.9960.
The Zapata County Jail by the Numbers
So far in 2026 the jail has held about 190 people on an average day, up from about 160 in 2019. Its rated capacity is 240 beds, and it is running at 78 percent of it. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
Zapata County has about 14,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 136 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the Zapata County Jail
The Zapata County Sheriff's Office makes the arrests that end in a booking in Zapata County.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Zapata County: the Zapata County Independent School District (other agency).
The Zapata County Sheriff's Office reported 109 arrests to the FBI for 2025. Those kept in custody were booked into the county jail; a person cited and released at the scene was not.
The counts, agency by agency and year by year, are in Zapata County arrest records.
From the Jail to State Prison
A sentence of more than a year is served in state prison, not the jail; the Texas Department of Criminal Justice lists its inmates at inmate.tdcj.texas.gov/InmateSearch/start.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find an inmate in Zapata County?
Ask the Zapata County Sheriff's Office at 956.765.9960; its jail page SearchSystems verified is at co.zapata.tx.us/page/zapata.sheriff.
How many people are in the Zapata County jail?
About 190 on an average day so far in 2026, against a rated capacity of 240 beds.
What is the phone number for the Zapata County jail?
956.765.9960, the number on the page of the Zapata County Sheriff's Office SearchSystems verified.
Where do people sentenced to prison in Zapata County go?
To a facility of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice; its inmate locator is at inmate.tdcj.texas.gov/InmateSearch/start.
Is this the official Zapata County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.