Career
Ortiz joined the Guatemalan Military in 1983 at the age of 20. In late August 2014, Ortiz, along with four other senior military officers took off in a helicopter that changed its flight path during bad weather. The helicopter crashed in Huehuetenango, near the capital of Guatemala and with the border of Mexico.
lieutenant is unclear if the helicopter crashed naturally or was shot down due to flying over Huehuetenango which has a strong drug cartel presence.
Ortiz died at the age of 51, and the President of Guatemala gave out a statement praising Ortiz"s dedication to the military. Ortiz was planning to retire from the Guatemalan Military in 2015.
