It's a sad day for all those involved with Netflix's hit series Narcos, as one of the production's location scouts was reportedly shot and killed during a recent trip to Mexico.
Carlos Muñoz Portal's body was found on Monday, along with his bullet-riddled car, in a remote area in San Bartolo Actopan, which is near the borders of the Hidalgo state. He was 37 years old. The area of the country in which his corpse was found is considered to have one of world's highest murder rates. According to Variety, there were 182 homicide cases in the month of July alone. That works out to a ratio of 12.2 for every 100,000 inhabitants. He was supposedly on his way to the State of Mexico to take pictures and scout additional locations for the show's upcoming fourth season, which will allegedly explore the origins of the infamous Juraez cartel.
"We are aware of the passing of Carlos Muñoz Portal, a well-respected location scout, and send our condolences to his family," Netflix said in a statement. "The facts surrounding his death are still unknown as authorities continue to investigate." Muñoz's death has also led to reports that have Netflix concerned for everyone on Narcos' well-being. They are supposedly considering a move to Columbia for the next season of filming, which is where the show had started out before moving to Mexico.
Muñoz had worked for the production company Redrum, which is based in Mexico City, was an active members of the film industry for more than a decade. He had previously contributed to films such as Apocalypto, Fast & Furious, Sicario, and Spectre. While there are no concrete details as to the backstory behind the man's murder, sources are saying that local authorities continue to gather information concerning the details of the homicide. Netflix nor anyone associated with the show supplied any further comments about the passing of their valued crew member. It's also unclear if this sudden death will delay or halt production of the show. Nor confirmation either way had been made public by Netflix at the time of this writing.
RIP.