Israel Vallarta was released from the Altiplano prison in the State of Mexico, where he had been held since 2005 without sentencing.
Vallarta was detained along with French citizen Florence Cassez at the Las Chinitas ranch, accused of being part of the kidnapping gang known as Los Zodiaco.
While Cassez was released in 2013 after obtaining an injunction, Vallarta remained in prison, facing charges of kidnapping, organized crime, and possession of weapons and ammunition for the exclusive use of the Armed Forces.
When his acquittal was granted, he walked out of the federal prison at 9:52 a.m. and immediately reunited with his wife and children. In an interview with Elisa Alanis for Milenio Television, Vallarta recounts how he was notified of his release the night before, when a court clerk handed him the verdict absolving him of the crimes.
Elisa Alanis (EA): After 20 years without a sentence in official pretrial detention, and in the early hours of the morning, they issued his absolute release, an acquittal, that is, he was innocent, there was no evidence, he just got out, set out on his way, and arrived here with us.
“Well, thank you all, and thank you for your interest, for not allowing that darkness to continue to permeate, for not allowing the truth to continue to be hidden, because it’s not my truth. I want to make that very clear.”
