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Veteran SVU Detective Departs for Undercover DEA Mission
10 Oct, 2025
Summary
- Octavio Pisano's character, Det. Joe Velasco, leaves SVU for an undercover DEA assignment
- Velasco tells Capt. Olivia Benson he's chasing a vicious drug lord
- Benson supports Velasco's decision to pursue the role where he can "do the most good"
According to a recent episode of the long-running crime drama Law & Order: SVU, veteran detective Joe Velasco, portrayed by Octavio Pisano, has decided to leave the Special Victims Unit to pursue an undercover assignment with the DEA in San Diego.
In the season opener on September 25th, Velasco had confidentially informed Capt. Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) that he had been recruited by the DEA, though he continued working at the precinct. However, in the latest episode that aired on October 5th, Velasco informed Benson that he had decided to accept the transfer.
Velasco explained to Benson that he had been chasing a vicious drug lord and felt he needed to finish the job. He had initially hesitated on accepting the transfer because he didn't want to leave Benson alone with Fin still recovering from injuries. But Benson reassured Velasco, saying, "I'm here because I think it's the place that I can do the most good. You need to be where you can do the most good."
Pisano had recurred as Det. Joe Velasco since Season 23 of the long-running crime drama, which follows the detectives of the Special Victims Unit as they investigate and prosecute sexually based crimes.
