A rising star in the film industry, 37-year-young location scout Carlos Muñoz Portal, was found dead in a rural area of Hidalgo, Mexico. An area that is known for its cartel related violence. According to the reports, Carlos was scouting the area for filming locations for the 4th season of Netflix’s hit show Narcos. Season 4 is rumored to be following the origins of Mexico’s infamous Juarez cartel. Just as season 3 focused on the rise and fall of the Cali cartel and the shift of the drug wars to Mexico.
Muñoz was a graduate of the University of the Americas and had been working in the movie industry for more than decade as a locations manager. Carlos had already established himself as an important asset within the industry. Working in such high-profile films like Sicario, Apocalypto, Fast and Furious, Elysium, and Spectre. Carlos had amassed his credits from as an excellent location scout. According to local reports, authorities have had trouble piecing together the circumstances that led to his killing, given the dearth of witnesses.
Carlos’ gunned down body was found inside a car, and due to the lack of witnesses, police are having a hard time figuring out if he died escaping to Hidalgo or from Hidalgo. The state of Hidalgo suffers from one of the highest murder rates in the country, with 182 cases of homicide reported just in July, that’s 12.2 for every 100,000 people.
A Netflix spokesperson made a statement for People where he said the following.
“We are aware of the passing of Carlos Muñoz Portal, a well-respected location scout, and send our condolences to his family. The facts surrounding his death are still unknown as authorities continue to investigate.”
It’s scary to think that the murder could have something to do with the content of the show.
In July, the Los Angeles Times reported that homicides in Mexico rose to record levels. Over 2,000 homicide just in June 2017. An increase of 40% from the year prior, and an 80% increase since 2015. The investigation into Carlos Muñoz’s death is still ongoing, but it is likely that the location manager simply found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. There is no news yet on what Netflix will do with the setting of Season 4 of Narcos.
We here at Being Latino hope that the case is resolved and the family and friends of Carlos can find some peace. Our deepest condolences.