The publication
Who Is ‘Z-42’? Omar Treviño Morales: Role, Charges and Status
What officials and news reports say about Omar Treviño Morales, known as “Z-42”. Everything below is attributed to its source. Accusations are allegations, not findings: anyone not convicted is presumed innocent.
At a glance
- Name: Omar Treviño Morales
- Known as: Z-42
- Role, as officials describe it: He allegedly assumed primary leadership of Los Zetas following his brother Miguel's arrest in 2013, leading it until his own arrest in 2015. [EIN Presswire (DOJ release) · official record]
- Link to a criminal group: linked to the Cártel del Noreste in official U.S. or Mexican records cited below. See the Cártel del Noreste profile.
- On this page: 5 facts from 3 sources (3 from official records). Unverified leads are not shown.
Accusations and charges
- Both brothers are charged with engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise involving multiple murder conspiracies, plus drug trafficking, firearms, and money laundering charges. [EIN Presswire (DOJ release) · official record]
Names and aliases
- The Justice Department identifies him as Óscar Omar Treviño Morales, a.k.a. 'Z-42.' [EIN Presswire (DOJ release) · official record]
Key events
- He was arrested on March 4, 2015 when Mexican soldiers caught him in an affluent suburb of Monterrey. [NPR via KVNF, 2015-03-05 · news/research]
- On February 27, 2025 he was expelled to the United States among the 29 wanted defendants and was arraigned in Washington, D.C. alongside his brother. [Associated Press, 2025-03-15 · news/research]
Our coverage
Cártel del Noreste profile · More “Who is” profiles
Last reviewed: September 30, 2026. If you are named here and believe something is wrong, contact us via our corrections page.