Location scout for Netflix's 'Narcos' shot dead in Mexico

This undated production photo provided by Netflix, shows actors Pedro Pascal, left, as Javier Pena, and Boyd Holbrook as Steve Murphy in the Netflix Original Series "Narcos." The series that debuts on Aug. 28, 2015, is based on the account of Murphy and Pena, now-retired Drug Enforcement Administration agents who were assigned to bring the drug lord down. (Daniel Daza/Netflix via AP)

A “Narcos” location scout was gunned down this week after traveling to one of Mexico’s most violent regions to hunt for settings to shoot for the fourth season of the hit Netflix show.

The bullet-riddled body of Carlos Muñoz Portal and his car were found Monday in a remote area in central Mexico close to the border of Hidalgo, which has one of the highest murder rates in Mexico, Variety reported Saturday.

“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, Variety reported. “The facts surrounding his death are still unknown as authorities continue to investigate.”

The seasoned scout worked for Stacy Perskie’s Mexico City-based production company Redrum and had a slew of high profile credits to his name, including, “Sicario,” “Spectre,” “Fast & Furious” and Mel Gibson’s “Apocalypto,” according to Variety.

Several Mexican journalists reported Muñoz’s death on social media.

El País reported that authorities found Muñoz's compact car on a dirt road in San Bartolo Actopan in the muciplaity of Temascalapa in the State of Mexico.

One of his friends told the paper that Munoz had a camera with him.

"Maybe they thought he was collecting information and they started tracking him in a car," the friend said.

Investigators have little to go on at this point, according to local media.

“We have no witnesses,” Claudio Barrera, spokesman for the Attorney General of the State of Mexico was quoted as saying in La Vanguardia.

Season 4 of “Narcos” is said to be exploring the origins of Mexico’s infamous Juarez cartel just as season 3 focused on the rise and fall of Colombia’s Cali cartel, Variety reported.

It wasn’t clear if the murder would force producers to move production from Mexico back to Colombia, according to Variety.