It was revealed in May that Octavio Pisano would not be returning as a series regular to Season 27 of Law & Order: SVU. His Det. Joe Velasco has now left the Special Victims Unit for good.
In Thursday night’s episode, we learned that Velasco was leaving SVU to accept an undercover assignment for the DEA in San Diego, targeting drug runs.
In the season opener on Sept. 25, Velasco confidentially told Capt. Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) that he’d been recruited by DEA, while he continued working at the precinct. In Thursday night’s episode, Velasco decided to accept the position.
As TVLine reported, Velasco explained to Benson that he had been chasing a vicious drug lord and felt he needed to finish the job. He had hesitated on accepting the transfer because he didn’t want to leave Benson alone with Fin out and still recovering from injuries he received when he was ambushed and beaten by two people in the season premiere. Benson told Velasco she would not want him out of loyalty to her. “I’m here because I think it’s the place that I can do the most good,” she said. “You need to be where you can do the most good.”
Pisano had recurred as Det. Joe Velasco since Season 23.
Law & Order: SVU follows detectives from the Special Victims Unit as they investigate and prosecute sexually based crimes. Some episodes are loosely based on real crimes that have been ripped from the headlines. The fight for justice never ends as Benson and her squad provide a tireless voice for the voiceless. Benson’s compassion for victims and pledge to protect the innocent stand as a beacon of hope for all.
Ice T, Peter Scanavino, and Kevin Kane also star.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit was created by Dick Wolf. He executive produces with David Graziano, Julie Martin, Hargitay, Norberto Barba, Kenneth Brown, and Peter Jankowski. The series is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment.
