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All About Law & Order: SVU Detective Joe Velasco, Played by Octavio Pisano
He shines in the role.
On Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) leads a team of dedicated officers as they tackle NYC's most heinous crimes. One of the newest officers is Detective Joe Velasco, played by the talented Octavio Pisano. Below, we break down some key information about his character.
Octavio Pisano shines as Detective Joe Velasco, Law & Order: SVU's newest regular
Detective Joe Velasco made his way to the SVU universe as an undercover officer, helping the team track down missing victims within a high-profile case. He initially butted heads with Fin (Ice-T), but as Season 23 continued, their relationship improved.
Velasco was born and raised in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico in the confines of dangerous cartel territory. Velasco has potent experience within the crime world after getting entangled with gang members growing up. After surviving a scary experience, he vowed to become a police officer.
Velasco doesn't always take the order in law and order into consideration when doing his job, but now that he's firmly placed under Benson's roof, that's starting to change.
In an interview with TV Insider, Pisano said entering the SVU is an "education" for his rough-around-the-edges character. "You still gotta take them to court," he said. "Everything has to follow protocol to take the job all the way.”
Following protocol might not be Velasco's thing, but SVU fans love him anyway. And they'll see him again when Season 24 premieres September 22 at 9/8c on NBC.
