Variety has reported that in a tragic turn of events, a location scout for the Netflix drama series Narcos was shot dead in Mexico over the weekend. The scout, named Carlos Muñoz Portal, worked for the production company Redrum, which is based in Mexico. Muñoz was experienced in location scouting, having worked for Redrum to find locations for blockbuster films such as Spectre and Fast & Furious.
The investigation over Muñoz’s murder is ongoing. His body was found with his car near San Bartolo, an area infamous for its murder rate and violence. It’s reported that the investigating forces are having trouble with the case due to the lack of witnesses.
Netflix released a brief statement in response to the news of Carlos Muñoz Portal’s death. “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.
On Monday, Pablo Escobar’s brother, Roberto De Jesus Escobar Gaviria, came forward with his own thoughts on the incident. Gavira, who was the lead accountant for his brother’s criminal pursuits and later the founder of Escobar Inc., suggested that Netflix should have hired hitmen to provide security detail for their employees.
“You have to eliminate all threats [to be safe],” Gaviria said. “If you have the intellect, you don’t need to use weapons. If not, you have to. In this case, Netflix should provide hitmen to their people as security.”
Gaviria and Netflix are currently caught up in a legal battle in which Gaviria requested $1 billion from Netflix for using Pablo Escobar’s story without his family’s permission. “Netflix are scared. They sent us a long letter to threaten us,” Gaviria said. “If we don’t receive [the money], we will close their little show.”
In light of Muñoz’s murder, it is not known whether or not Netflix will continue production of Narcos in Mexico or simply move the show back to Columbia.