A location scout involved in the production of the hit Netflix drama Narcos was slain on Monday, and thus far, there’s no information known about who killed him or what precipitated the grisly scene.
According to reports, 37-year-old Carlos Muñoz Portal was found dead in his car in the Temascalapa municipality while he’d been scouting out locations for the popular streaming show. The area where his body was found was reportedly close to the Mexican state of Hidalgo, which is notoriously rife with drug cartel-related murders.
Mexican authorities have not yet ventured any explanation for what happened, owing to a lack of evidence and an ongoing investigation. According to Deadline, Mexico’s attorney general said that no witnesses have been found so far.
En parajes #Edomex, Carlos Muñoz Portal (37), buscaba locaciones para serie @NarcosNetflix . Fue encontrado muerto, por balas, en automóvil pic.twitter.com/Dbn6brJp1w
— Julio Astillero (@julioastillero) September 16, 2017
Netflix released a statement regarding Munoz’s death, describing him as a respected location scout.
“We are aware of the passing of Carlos Muñoz Portal, a well-respected location scout, and send our condolences to his family,” the statement reads. “The facts surrounding his death are still unknown as authorities continue to investigate.”
Munoz’s career as a location scout wasn’t just limited to Netflix and Narcos. He’d also worked in film, scouting for the Denzel Washington film Man on Fire, the James Bond film Spectre, the Mel Gibson-directed Apocalypto, and Resident Evil: Extinction, among others. He’d also completed location work on a trio of films that are yet to be released, Gringo, Soldado, and Bel Canto.
It’s too early to say whether his death will have a chilling effect on American film and television productions filming in Mexico, but according to NBC News, there are concerns that his violent death could cause Narcos to move production back to Colombia, where its earlier seasons were filmed.