Joe Velasco

**Detective Jose 'Joe' Velasco** is a detective with the Manhattan Special Victims Unit, as a replacement for Katriona Tamin.

## History

Velasco was assigned by McGrath to go undercover to infiltrate a sex trafficking ring, run by Congressman Justin Howard, Catalina Machado and Ruben Ortiz. However, when the Special Victims Unit went to infiltrate the ring, they didn't know that Velasco was undercover because McGrath didn't tell them. After he revealed his identity to the police, he assisted them in the case. (SVU: "And The Empire Strikes Back")

After finding a missing witness, Jenna Evans, Velasco told Evans that his father beat him and when he died everyone in his family wanted his money but all he wanted to keep was his belt that he used to beat him with.

Velasco then joined the Special Victims Unit but was at first disliked by Tutuola, who thought he was going to rat out their every move to McGrath. However, Velasco was determined to get on Tutuola's good side with Rollins' help. However, he didn't succeed when he beat and nearly choked to death a rapist who targeted mothers with young children.

Velasco told Tutuola that when he was 14 he was running errands with his crew in Juarez. He wanted to be in with the leader, Hector, and make him proud. However, Hector told Velasco that he needed a favour to lure a rival into a location. This ended in Hector's crew torturing a man and brutally beating him. Velasco claimed that he prayed that if that man survived he would only do good from then on and the man survived.

While investigating the chief lifeguard for the rape of Diego Rodriguez, Velasco and Muncy questioned another lifeguard, Ronnie, at the beach while he was supervising Diego whilst swimming. When finished questioning Ronnie, Velasco and Muncy believe that Ronnie wasn't telling the truth before starting to notice something wrong with Diego's swimming. Diego then started drowning and Velasco and Muncy witnessed another lifeguard do nothing about it. Velasco then dived into the water to save Diego from death. However, after Diego was taken into the ambulance, Tutuola revealed to Velasco and Benson that Diego died. Later, while Carisi tried to prosecute Greco for several murders including Diego's murder, Velasco tried to convince the lifeguard that watched Diego die to testify against Greco. The lifeguard then confessed that he let Diego die because Greco told him not to go in the water and save him.

After Oscar Papa gets arrested for rape and attacking Benson, Velasco mentions that most of the witnesses don't want to testify and that he will get Sacrilege to talk. When Velasco and Churlish meet with Sacrilege, Velasco offers Sacrilege heroin much to the disapproval of Churlish. Churlish ends up storming off and leaving the cell to avoid getting into trouble. Velasco then gives Sacrilege the drugs and bonds with him in Spanish. Later, whilst walking with Churlish on their way to meet with Sacrilege again, Velasco lied to Churlish and said that he didn't end up giving Sacrilege the drugs. Whilst meeting with Sacrilege, Sacrilege desperately expresses his need for more drugs and becomes aggressive and rude towards Churlish. Velasco tells Churlish to leave which Churlish does. Later, at the precinct, Churlish comes to see Benson and hands her the recording of Velasco meeting with Sacrilege and tells her to listen to it before leaving. (SVU: "Blood Out")

At the precinct, Velasco tries to check in with Muncy after Duarte's funeral. Muncy then tries to change the subject and avoid talking about Duarte's death. Later, after a man dressed up as a paramedic starts raping car accident victims, Muncy and Velasco discuss why their rapist is raping car accident victims. Velasco tells Muncy that rapists rape because it is what they do. Muncy finds that the rapist's plan is too elaborate and says that the victims were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Velasco then tries to link the subject to Duarte's death. Muncy tells Velasco that she was angry that Duarte is dead because he went to buy cigarettes at the bodega where he died when he stopped smoking ages ago. Velasco tells Muncy that Duarte made his own choices. Later, at the precinct, Velasco mentions Duarte's death to Muncy again which starts to annoy her. Velasco then manages to convince Muncy to grab a beer with him. However, the phone rings and Muncy picks up the phone. It turns out that there is another car accident and rape. A few moments later, Benson questions Muncy about her relationship with Velasco. Benson then hands Muncy the tape that Churlish gave to her and told her to listen to it. After catching the rapist, Muncy listens to the tape and hears Velasco tell Sacrilege that he murdered someone in his past. At the precinct, Muncy reports back to Benson about what she heard. Muncy tells Benson that she thinks Velasco said that to get Sacrilege to flip. Benson tells Muncy that she has to investigate as Velasco might have confessed to murder. Benson also tells Muncy to take a few days off and not to pick up Velasco's call as well as warning her that she will transfer her if she tells anyone about the investigation into Velasco.

Benson plays the recording to Fin of Velasco confessing to murder. Fin tells Velasco that he's making the whole thing up but Benson tells Fin that the homicide Velasco mentions is a real murder case. Fin tells Benson to let him take care of the investigation into Velasco. Later, when Churlish arrives at the precinct, Fin tells Velasco and Churlish to go into interrogation. When Velasco asks who they are interrogated, Benson mentions that they are interrogating him. During interrogation, Velasco becomes annoyed that Churlish recorded him and claims that he made the whole thing up. Churlish tells Velasco that she has the dime bag which he used to give Sacrilege. Fin asks Velasco about the drugs but Velasco tells Churlish and Fin that he gave Sacrilege powdered sugar. Churlish then continues to play the recording. As a result, Velasco is given a drug test. Later, Velasco becomes angry and refuses to talk to Churlish. Fin tells Velasco to tell him how he knows about the murders and Velasco confesses that he was there when it happened. Later, Velasco tells Fin and Churlish that he may need a lawyer but Fin tells Velasco that he doesn't need a lawyer. Velasco claims that he was just a kid and attempts to start an argument with Churlish but Fin stops them. Velasco tells them that when he was fifteen, a gang member offered him a job as security and that he was sent to a camp before being sent to Fort Worth. Velasco tells Fin and Churlish that he couldn't go through with the murder so his friend committed the murder and he ran away. Later, Fin tries to convince Velasco to turn on his friend but Velasco refuses. Later, Fin informs Benson that he is impressed with Churlish and thinks Velasco might need a second chance. Benson then goes to meet with Velasco who tells him that his drug test was positive for powdered sugar. Benson then tells Velasco that she feels bad for him because he takes the shape of everything that he is asked to do and that she needs him to stop performing. Benson also tells Velasco that he needs to find his friend and bring him in but Velasco tries to convince her that people change.

Velasco watches McGrath as he announces that he has established a task force to take down the creators of Shadowërk. Later, Velasco and Muncy meet with Gil at the prison and question him about Kate's rape. After questioning Gil, Muncy tells Velasco that McGrath congratulated her on arresting Elias Olsen and offered her a promotion on the D.A. task force. Muncy tells Velasco that she is contemplating accepting it and makes him promise not to tell anybody. Velasco then promises that he won't say a word before telling Muncy that she is his only real friend. At the precinct, Velasco and Muncy arrive and Velasco informs the squad that Gil didn't order Kate's rape. (SVU: "All Pain Is One Malady")

## On OC

### Season 2

Velasco meets with Bell and Jet at the precinct. Velasco and Jet then inform Bell about a new suspect named Ted Taylor who was a janitor at Sara’s school and was charged with statutory rape in his past. Later, Velasco managed to identify a new suspect named Stacy Gennaro. Bell, Cho and Maldonado then approach Gennaro’s mother about the kidnapping and her whereabouts. Gennaro’s mother then told them about Stacy’s boyfriend. Bell then sent Velasco, Stabler and Jet a photo of Stacy’s boyfriend and Stabler managed to discover Sara’s whereabouts. (OC: “Lost One”)

### Season 3

After discovering that Ava’s sex trafficker was a woman, Benson has Rollins and the rest of their team comb their record for 90 seconds until Velasco gets a lead on the female pimp. Cosgrove, Stabler and the SWAT team then enter the pimp’s home where Cosgrove is charged at by a woman with a knife. Cosgrove disarms the woman and takes her into custody. (OC: “Gimme Shelter”)

Whilst investigating Kyle Wilkie for his involvement with Shadowërk, Velasco and Reyes raid Kyle's home where they find Kyle's suicide note in the attic. Later, after Muncy accepts the promotion that McGrath offered her, Velasco helps Muncy take out her boxes to the car. After putting the boxes in the car, Velasco tells Muncy that he is very glad that they got the chance to meet. Muncy agrees with Velasco before telling him that she will miss him. Velasco and Muncy then share a hug before Velasco thanks Muncy for always having his back. Muncy tells Velasco that she always will before Velasco leaves. (OC: "With Many Names")

## Appearances

* Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
	+ Season 23: "And The Empire Strikes Back" • "Never Turn Your Back On Them" • "One More Tale of Two Victims" • "They'd Already Disappeared" • "Nightmares In Drill City" • "Burning With Rage Forever" • "Tommy Baker's Hardest Fight" • "Video Killed The Radio Star" • "Sorry If It Got Weird For You" • "Once Upon A Time In El Barrio" • "Tangled Strands Of Justice" • "Confess Your Sins To Be Free" • "A Final Call At Forlini's Bar"
	+ Season 24: "Gimme Shelter" • "The One You Feed" • "Mirror Effect" • "The Steps We Cannot Take" • "Breakwater" • "Dead Ball" • "And A Trauma In A Pear Tree" • "Jumped In" • "Soldier Up" • "Blood Out" • "Intersection" • "King Of The Moon" • "Lime Chaser" • "Bubble Wrap" • "Bend The Law" • "Debatable" • "Bad Things" • "All Pain Is One Malady"
	+ Season 25: "Tunnel Blind" • "Truth Embargo" • “The Punch List” • “Duty To Report”
* Law & Order: Organized Crime
	+ Season 2: "Lost One"
	+ Season 3: "Gimme Shelter" • “With Many Names”