Israel Vallarta Cisneros was acquitted and released after nearly 20 years in prison without a formal sentence. A federal judge in Toluca, Mariana Vieyra Valdés, ordered his immediate freedom due to insufficient evidence to prove his involvement in the kidnapping of six people and leadership of the criminal group "Los Zodiacos." Vallarta was detained in 2005 alongside French citizen Florence Cassez in an operation later revealed to be a televised setup orchestrated by former officials including Genaro García Luna, the ex-head of the Federal Investigation Agency (AFI), during the administration of then-President Felipe Calderón. The case exposed systemic flaws in the Mexican justice system and generated diplomatic tensions between Mexico and France. President Claudia Sheinbaum and Interior Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez confirmed the absolution, highlighting the irregularities and torture Vallarta endured during his detention. Vallarta has rejected earlier offers of pardon, insisting on continuing the legal process and seeking justice. Upon release, he expressed his intention to hold a conversation with journalist Carlos Loret de Mola, who was involved in the original televised arrest. Vallarta also indicated he may pursue a political career, potentially running for senator. The government acknowledged the prolonged injustice and the possibility of Vallarta seeking reparations for the nearly two decades he was imprisoned without conviction.