Israel Vallarta Cisneros was acquitted and released from the Altiplano federal prison in the State of Mexico after nearly 20 years of detention without a formal sentence. A federal judge in Toluca issued the absolution on July 31, 2025, citing insufficient evidence to prove his involvement in the kidnapping of six individuals and leadership of the criminal group "Los Zodiacos." Vallarta was originally detained in 2005 alongside French national Florence Cassez in an operation later revealed to be a televised setup orchestrated by former officials including Genaro García Luna, then head of the Federal Investigation Agency (AFI), and linked to the administration of former President Felipe Calderón. The case highlighted systemic issues within Mexico's justice system, including allegations of torture during Vallarta's detention and irregularities in the prosecution's evidence. President Claudia Sheinbaum and Secretary of the Interior Rosa Icela Rodríguez confirmed the acquittal and emphasized the government's role in addressing the wrongful imprisonment. Vallarta, who has expressed a desire for justice beyond his release, called for a direct conversation with journalist Carlos Loret de Mola concerning the televised arrest montage. He also indicated he might pursue legal action against the Mexican state for the nearly two decades he spent imprisoned without conviction. The case remains emblematic of prolonged injustice and has drawn attention to the need for judicial reform in Mexico.