Member of Netflix ‘Narcos’ Staff Murdered in Mexico

by Sierra Marlee | September 17, 2017 3:22 pm

A seasoned location scout was gunned down in central Mexico while looking for a location to shoot the fourth season of Netflix’s hit show, “Narcos.”

Carlos Muñoz Portal and his car were found just outside the border of Hildalgo, which is apparently one of the most violent areas in Mexico, having one of the highest murder rates in the country. It appears that he was shot multiple times, though authorities have no idea who might have committed the atrocity.

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Photo: Netflix via AP

Netflix released a statement on the brutal murder of Portal, sending condolences to his family and stating that they don’t have any more information on his death than the authorities have given them – which isn’t much.

“We are aware of the passing of Carlos Muñoz Portal, a well-respected location scout, and send our condolences to his family,” they said. “The facts surrounding his death are still unknown as authorities continue to investigate.”

Portal worked for a Mexico City-based production company and scouted locations for movies such as “Fast & Furious,” “Sicario,” “Spectre” and “Apocalypto.”

Reports indicate that his body was found in his car on a dirt road. Apparently, he had his camera with him, which leads investigators to believe that someone thought he was collecting information on the less-than-legal activities that take place in the area and took him out. At this point it is just speculation, but it’s more than what the police actually have to go on according to local media accounts.

Spokesman for the Attorney General of the State of Mexico, Claudio Barrera, is quoted as saying “We have no witnesses,” which naturally makes any case significantly more difficult.

Also unclear is whether the murder of Portal is going to cause Netflix to withdraw from the location and search for another.

Now I’m not in production and I have no interest in going into that particular field, but I do have common sense which dictates that you don’t send a bunch of freaking actors to one of the most dangerous parts of one of the more dangerous countries on the planet to film a show. I get that it’s popular and Netflix is going for authenticity and a level of realism that you just don’t get by shooting at a location other than where your show says it should be shot, but let’s think about the safety of the people involved. They have families and lives outside of your show and I’m sure they’d like to get back to it instead of being murdered in some third world country.

Endnotes:
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