Octavio Pisano is back on the set of NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, reprising his role as Detective Joe Velasco for a guest appearance in Season 27, according to multiple reports confirmed by Deadline.
Pisano is currently filming in New York City, with sources indicating his character will be involved in an undercover operation. His return marks a shift from his departure in October 2025, when Velasco left SVU to take on an undercover assignment with the DEA in San Diego, focusing on drug trafficking investigations. The nature of his current undercover work within the SVU framework remains undisclosed.
Pisano initially joined Law & Order: SVU in Season 23 in a recurring capacity before being promoted to series regular. He has as well appeared as Detective Velasco in crossover episodes of Law & Order: Organized Crime. His exit from the series as a regular cast member last year coincided with reported budget cuts impacting several NBC shows, according to Deadline.
The return of Detective Velasco has already generated excitement among fans, as evidenced by reactions to a photo posted on social media featuring Pisano alongside Ice-T, who plays Sergeant Odafin “Fin” Tutuola. Ice-T shared the image with a comment acknowledging the on-location filming in New York.
Law & Order: SVU, created by Dick Wolf and executive produced by Wolf, Michele Fazekas, Mariska Hargitay, Kenneth Brown, and Peter Jankowski, follows the detectives of the Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department as they investigate crimes of sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic violence. The cast also includes Mariska Hargitay, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino, and Kevin Kane.
Beyond his work on the Law & Order franchise, Pisano recently made his directorial debut with the boxing drama Wet Under Blue Sky, which he also wrote and starred in. Details regarding the length of his appearance in Season 27, and any potential storylines, have not yet been released, with NBC stating that further information will be revealed at a later date. Pisano is currently listed as a cast member in the 18th episode of the reveal’s 27th season, according to IMDb.
