Original subtitles

- In the criminal justice system,

sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous.

In New York City, the dedicated detectives

who investigate these vicious felonies

are members of an elite squad known

as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories.

- Anonymous tip to SVU said 6:30.

- 20 bucks says it's bogus.

- 50 bucks says you're wrong.

- It's an abandoned train yard in open daylight.

No corroboration, no names.

- Griff, you do know what anonymous means, right?

- Whoever tipped us knew the location,

the time frame.

They reported it directly to SVU.

They even knew the right police code.

- Yeah, it's not a state secret.

OK, all I'm saying is, half the tips that came

through Anti-Crime were smoke.

This is starting to feel like a--

- And here we go.

- I only take cash.

- ESU, what do you got?

- I count ten.

Two suspects still in vehicles, armed.

- We need this clean. Minimal bloodshed.

- Loud and clear, Captain. Got eyes on your target?

- I do now.

On your mark. - Roger, Captain.

In position. Three.

- Let's move. - Two, one.

Go. - NYPD!

- Hands up, hands up!

- ESU! - NYPD!

- Hands in the air! - Get down.

Stay where you are. Don't move.

Don't move. - Watch it, watch it.

- Down on the ground. Show me your hands.

- Hands up. - We're clear, Captain.

- Let's go. - On me.

- Let's go. Open it up.

Go.

- NYPD. - It's OK.

Oh, my God. It's OK.

We're the police. You're all safe.

- We're here to help you.

You hurt? Are you hurt?

- I don't think so.

- We're gonna get you out of here, OK?

- OK. - Don't move! Don't move!

Bogey westbound, on foot.

- Go, go! I got it.

- Hands over your head!

Help me get him over.

- Velasco? - Take me in.

Take me in now. - OK.

- Come on.

- On your feet.

Move!

- It's OK. I had the cameras turned off.

- You really gotta make us chase you?

- I had to sell it. - OK, first of all, are you OK?

- Yeah, I just can't be in here for too long.

- I'm with you. Take a breath.

But I need to know how this happened

and--and about the tip that you called in.

- Look, I'm deep undercover for the DEA

as the muscle for a street crew in San Diego

that has ties to a cartel called Los Sin Fe.

- Why is a West Coast drug cartel

trafficking women in New York?

- Because we were here for an exchange.

- What kind of exchange?

- I thought it was drugs for guns.

We had coke. We had fent.

But then the other night, I heard that

they were trading it for people.

- And the DEA wanted us to rescue the women?

- No. They don't know.

- Wait, what? You don't trust your handler?

- I can't explain everything to you right now, OK?

I just need you to know that there's more.

- More victims? - Yes.

The exchange was one of two.

- When does this second exchange go down?

- I don't know. - Do you know how many women?

- No, not yet.

I just know that you gotta start looking.

Now. I'll reach out when I can.

- OK-- Velasco, wait, wait.

- You gotta send me back

or they're gonna think that something's up.

- Glenn Schaffner for Vicente Zavala.

He's done here.

- Well, I'm sick of talking to myself.

You can have him.

Bye, Vicente.

Report from the hospital?

- Yeah, minor injuries on the victims we rescued.

Abrasions, bruising.

I'm assuming from transit.

- I've asked for a rape kit from anyone who consents.

Any luck with the IDs?

- We did get a few matches in Missing Persons.

- OK.

- So we have Angela Neumann,

Tanya Cortez, Madison Cleary,

all from the tri-state,

all with a record for prostitution.

- We know sex workers are at a higher risk

of trafficking, but we don't know

how they got in that truck.

- And I assume we got nothing

from the other perps that we picked up?

- They're all lawyered up with Schaffner.

I looked into him.

He's a known cartel attorney hired to protect their guys.

- Other than that, nothing else we could dig up

on Los Sin Fe.

- Yeah, well, that's why I brought in this guy.

- Our guy is deep in. That's all I need to hear.

- Yeah. - Where's everybody else?

- Uh, Rollins and Carisi went away for a week with the kids.

And Curry--

that's a story for another time.

- Say no more.

I think it's best we do this elsewhere.

My guys in Narcotics say Los Sin Fe started in Mexico,

then popped up in San Diego two years ago.

- OK, who's in charge? - This guy.

Alejandro José Guevara,

AKA El Chiquito.

- The Little One. Cute.

- He's wanted for distribution, money laundering,

and he has a rep for ambition.

- That's why he's expanding into human trafficking.

- He's just diversifying his portfolio.

- So he sends a crew all the way to the east coast to do it?

- Well, a guy like this doesn't get where he is

without friends, so he probably

had a connect here who was already

in the trafficking business.

- Any idea who the connect was? - No.

But Narcotics made a call into San Diego,

and they think they know who Velasco might be with.

- OK. - Arturo Aguilar.

He's a shot caller, point man, and enforcer.

- Rap sheet for intent to distribute.

May or may not be good for a dozen murders.

- Yeah, but nothing they can tie him down to.

Now, San Diego said he did catch a crowbar to the dome

from a rival gang member, and rumor is

he hasn't been the same since. - Not the same how?

- Oh, yeah, well, a couple of months ago,

he thought one of his guys was skimming.

He tied him to his bumper and drove for 10 miles

before he hit the brakes. - OK, so he's a liability.

Why hand him the job?

- Because he happens to be Chiquito's younger cousin,

and Aguilar idolizes him.

Velasco, how's he? - Uh, on edge.

Not himself.

- He's putting a lot on the line

trying to save these girls.

He's still got some SVU in him.

- I'm betting the cartel pays his bail.

He's out by the end of the day.

- Along with the others we arrested.

By the time their court date rolls around,

they'll be long gone. - Well,

we need to rescue these women before that happens.

Hey, Madison, are you hungry?

Can I get you anything to eat or drink?

- No. - OK.

Listen to me.

I want you to know that you're not in trouble.

You're safe here. - You don't know that.

- I do absolutely know that.

- You have to help her.

- OK, who's that?

- Brittany.

My sister.

They still have her.

- OK.

OK, Madison, so

anything that you can tell me

about where they held you,

anything that you can tell me

about the identity of these men will be

very helpful in me finding her.

Can you do that?

- We were...

working for this guy running an escort thing.

- What is the name of this guy that you worked for?

- It was Tony.

I don't know his last name.

- That's OK. - Um...

he said we're gonna do something different,

and we're gonna meet at this motel.

So I--

we go there,

and there were these five other guys

I'd never seen before.

And he told us

that they sold us.

- OK.

- And Brittany was terrified,

and she started screaming and crying,

and I tried to get her out,

but they put these hoods on our heads

and then pushed us into a truck.

And there were other girls there.

- And that's when they brought you to New York?

- Yes, and then the truck stopped moving,

and they pushed us out into this room,

and then they took the hoods off.

- OK. Did you get a look at the room?

- It was almost like it was like a big closet.

And they left us in there for a really long time

until they came back.

And I was holding her hand,

but I-I couldn't hold on tight enough.

They took me, and they left her.

And she was--

she was screaming,

and it's my fault.

- Did you get a look

at any of these men?

Do you remember anything about them,

anything distinctive about them?

Something about their voice or a tattoo or--

- The one guy that was, like, the boss,

he--I think he had very long, dark hair.

- OK. - And--

and he had this scar on his neck

that was like that.

- Madison, that's very...

Very useful information.

Um...

c-can you just give me one minute?

All right?

Hey, Bruno, I can't talk right now.

- Yeah, I know, but you're gonna want to hear this.

You got a visitor.

Agent Maggie Weber, DEA.

- OK, uh,

have her wait in my office.

Hey, Agent Weber.

- Captain Benson.

Heard you saved the lives

of six trafficking victims yesterday.

- I assume you're here about the suspects that we arrested.

I'm sure they're getting transferred

into federal custody as we speak.

- No doubt.

So tell me about this tip you got.

- Uh, it came in on the main line.

It was routed to us, and luckily, it was credible.

- One thing about me, Captain, I don't really believe in luck.

- One thing about me, Agent,

is I like to get straight to the point.

- Joe Velasco.

I know the tip came from my undercover.

- You're his handler.

So we were very careful with his arrest.

- I don't doubt that.

My issue is that he wasn't when he went around me.

Velasco told me about the trafficking.

I kicked it up the chain,

but DEA brass decided intervening

would jeopardize the Los Sin Fe op.

- So you're here to tell me to let those women be sacrificed?

- No. Mm-mm.

I'm here to make sure that whatever you do next

doesn't get my guy killed.

- Sounds like you're worried about him.

- Well, he's solid.

But lately, he's been reporting less

and spending more time inside.

- Why do you think that is? - I don't know.

But since he was your guy not long ago,

I thought you might.

All I know is that I have a victim

whose sister is still missing,

along with other women who are being trafficked.

- And I want that off my conscience, too,

which is why I want to cooperate off the books.

- So how about we start by trying to identify the captors?

- OK.

- Uh, long, dark hair, ear to ear--

- Scar. Hector Lozano.

He's Los Sin Fe's east coast trafficking connect.

I'm always sorry the guy who cut his throat

didn't finish the job.

- Someone got here first.

Go. - NYPD!

- ESU!

- Body.

- Clear!

What? Come on.

You wanted to touch me, you could ask me.

- Arturo's orders. - Where is everyone?

- Sent back to California.

Didn't say why.

- You're good.

- I really appreciate you sending me that lawyer.

- I'm gonna talk to Vicente.

- Here if you need me.

Sit down.

I heard that you gave 'em hell trying to get out of there.

Those dirty cops, they try to break you?

- They tried. They failed.

- Look, if I knew, you would know, Arturo.

- You know, when I was younger...

I thought that loyalty was loud...

That to prove yourself, you made it known.

Then my cousin, he taught me that loyalty,

true loyalty, is quiet.

It's listening,

doing what you're told when.

- I guess that's why I'm still here, right?

- That's why you're still here.

So I have to ask you.

- Of course, you can trust me.

- All right.

Go get Benny. Go get Luis.

Cops, they took our van.

We're gonna need new cars.

We're gonna need new cars.

- Is someone knocking?

- Yeah, honey. Just stay there.

How did you get past my door man?

- Should probably get your super

to check the door on the roof.

- Hey, Joe.

- Hey, kid.

- It's OK, honey. Go back to bed. We're good.

- I don't have to worry about Noah ratting me out, do I?

- Well, I don't know.

He's hit quite a rebellious streak.

- Listen, I got something.

- Hey, shh.

- A fabric wholesaler, Amsterdam Textiles.

- Am I supposed to know what that is?

- That's where the cartel is getting the van

to transport the victims since you took ours during the raid.

- Well, if you have the plates, we'll track it.

- I don't have them.

Somebody else picked them up.

Listen, I know it's not much-- - No, but it's a start.

I'll have Bruno and Griffin look into it.

Listen, I also got something.

- OK.

- Uh, I got a visit from your handler at the DEA.

- Weber? What does she want?

- She figured out that you were the tipster.

- She wasn't mad? - No, surprisingly not.

Look, she's on your side, and she's as concerned

about you, Velasco, as I am. - Look.

Look, look, look, I really appreciate you both

looking out for me, but I'm good.

- So why is it that we both think

that there's something that you're not telling us?

We found Hector Lozano today.

He was murdered.

And Weber suspects

that it was your enforcer, Aguilar.

And for that reason, I am gonna ask you to consider

having Weber pull you out. - I can't.

I can't do that.

- We can work the case from the outside in.

We're gonna find these girls.

- I said no, Captain.

Six months ago, when I left SVU,

you told me to go where I'd do the most good.

- At what cost?

- I gotta go.

- Hey, sorry, we're not open yet.

- Are you the owner, Manuel Rojas?

- What's the problem?

- We're here to figure that out.

How many vans you got, Manuel?

- For the business? Just one.

- Yeah? Where is it?

- Not here. Um,

one of my guys had to make a delivery.

We're very busy right now.

- OK, well, you just said you're not open yet, so...

- You don't understand.

- Help us understand, Manuel.

They came here, two men.

Threatened to kill my grandchildren

if I didn't cooperate,

if I talk to cops.

Oh, God.

- Hey, we will do everything we can to protect you.

We'll put an officer outside your business,

with your family if necessary.

Did these men mention their names?

- No.

They just said they needed my van.

Didn't say where it was going.

- I'm guessing they didn't give you a number,

some way to reach them?

- No, they didn't say anything else.

I tried to tell them no. I swear.

- OK, we believe you, OK?

We just-- we need any information

you can give us about the van.

- I have the paperwork, the license plate,

registration, everything.

- Looks like Velasco was two for two.

- Yeah, I'll call it in.

- Arturo send you?

- I'm here unofficially.

- So how do you like New York?

- Hate the weather.

- Cold's kind of nice.

I've always wanted to see snow.

Maybe we should stay a little longer.

- Oh yeah? Then what?

- And then buy some big, dumb coats.

And then I lose my gloves,

but then I blame you for stealing them.

- Impossible.

Your gloves wouldn't fit my hand.

- Why, 'cause you're so big and tough?

Who is it? - Sorry. Housekeeping.

- Uh, no, thanks.

You heard from Arturo?

- He barely says anything to me anymore.

- He's probably just being extra careful after the raid.

- Yeah, that's probably why he killed Hector.

- Hector was a rat? - I don't know.

Arturo just said he had a feeling

Hector couldn't be trusted.

A couple years ago, that would have been a warning,

but now it's just over.

He's getting worse too.

He's getting high on his own supply.

He's--he's looking at me weird.

- What do you mean?

- I mean, I used to be good at pretending,

saying the right thing,

being able to read him.

That's--that's how I survived.

Vicente, I want to get out.

I want to run, just like we talked about.

- Come here.

We will, just not right now.

It's not the right time. It's too hot.

One day it will be.

And who knows?

Maybe we'll come back to New York

and get a studio for 10 grand a month.

Nothing crazy.

- Hey, baby.

Hey, what's wrong?

OK, sure. Yeah, when?

OK.

OK, bye.

The exchange is going down tonight.

He wants everybody back at the restaurant.

- OK.

- He did not sound good.

- It's all good.

Don't worry.

- Losing your touch.

- You tailing me isn't smart, Fin.

- Neither is you shacking up with your point man's woman.

- You're crazy.

I'm using her for access.

I'm trying to find these women.

- Really?

I saw you coming out of that room.

If that's all I thought this was,

I wouldn't be here.

- It did start as access.

And she doesn't participate.

She just hears things, and she'll whisper to me.

Then after a while, it just stopped--

stopped feeling like work.

You know, we both got jumped in young.

It just felt safe.

- Only thing, you became a cop.

- Yeah, and she got caught up with Aguilar,

and dude is paranoid on a good day,

and he's escalating.

- And that's all the more reason

you should pull out of undercover.

- No, I told Benson, I'm not doing that.

- What, because of the DEA?

Because of the victims?

Or because you're trying to protect her?

- All of it, Fin. All of it.

- I mean, look, Velasco, I've always kept it real

with you, and I'ma keep it real when I say you can't.

You can't protect SVU.

You can't protect the DEA, not the missing victims,

or this girl all in one shot.

It's not how it works.

- The exchange might be happening tonight.

I'll get the word out as soon as I can.

- Hey, take care of yourself.

- What, you don't want to feel me up this time?

Are we doing this or what?

- He told us to wait here.

- Hey, what do you got?

- Key's still in the ignition. I followed it straight here.

- Driver? - Male, Hispanic, 30 to 40.

He went inside a minute ago. - Anyone else?

- Nope. - OK.

- All right, let's go.

NYPD!

- NYPD! - ESU!

- Clear!

- Room clear. - Second bedroom clear.

- Bathroom's clear.

- Open up! Ram it.

- NYPD!

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Hands up.

- Put the phone down.

Where are they?

Hey, I asked you a question. Where are they?

- I got no idea what you're talking about.

- Get him out of here.

- The place is empty. No sign of victims.

- They're not here, Captain.

- Phones, guns, now.

Only the people in this room knew about that van,

- As expected, the guy is a brick wall.

Says he was on the phone with his grandma when we rolled up.

- And no luck tracing the call?

- TARU is working on it, but nothing yet.

It's got to be a burner.

- OK, what about the address?

- The previous owner was evicted six months ago.

Neighbors haven't seen anyone come in or out,

including the victims.

- Which confirms they were never there.

I thought I was clear about protecting my undercover.

- As was I when I agreed to it.

- Then why is he unreachable? - Unreachable?

What does that mean?

- It means you made a move on that van, arrested him,

spooked Aguilar, and possibly burned Velasco.

- What makes you think he's burned?

- Because it was a play

by Aguilar

to sniff out the rat.

- And you walked right into it.

- You're right.

Agent Weber, we did.

We walked right into it.

But we were acting off intel that Velasco gave us.

If this was a ruse, that means that our guy

and the victims are in danger, so--

so we need your help.

- My team back at home has access

to the DEA's deep tracking system.

It works even with Velasco's phone turned off.

- Probably should have led with that.

- Access requires approval from upstairs.

I'm pushing, but it takes time. - I'm not sure we have time.

- Which is why I need to know what the plan is.

If Velasco is not already burned,

another raid will do it.

- He said the exchange may be happening tonight.

We find him, we find the victims.

- I know this is risky, but if we put him in cuffs,

we can keep him safe.

- All right.

I'll follow up with HQ, push harder.

- OK, well, make it quick, because the second

we get a ping on Velasco's location,

we're rolling out of here.

- I'm telling you, Arturo, it's not me.

- Then who is it, Benny? - One of them.

I don't know.

I would never betray Chiquito.

You're getting crazy, man. Please.

OK, OK.

Look, there's still time to go.

Arturo, it doesn't have to be like this.

- It does if he deserved it.

- We don't know that he did.

Listen, you're not acting like yourself right now, OK?

You think that Chiquito would be happy about this?

- Chiquito already knows.

He's said to take everyone out

if it means the rat dies with them.

And I don't see you sweating, Vicente.

- I'm not sweating 'cause I'm not a rat.

- Then why have you been coming and going

since we got to New York? Hmm?

- I'm loyal, Arturo.

I'll say that much, but I'm not gonna beg for my life.

- You know, maybe my cousin was wrong about loyalty.

Maybe it's the quiet ones that you have to look out for.

You a rat, Vicente? - Hey! OK!

- Are you a rat?

- Arturo, stop! - No!

- Stop!

He was with me.

He was with me right after the raid.

The heat was on.

I didn't know who to trust, and I needed the extra protection,

so I asked Vicente to post outside the motel

when you couldn't be around.

I-I would have told you, baby, but you had a lot going on,

so I'm sorry.

- I'm gonna talk to you, Luis.

- I'll keep an eye on him for you.

- Oh, my God. Are you OK?

- I'm fine. I'm fine. - Vicente.

Vicente, now is our chance.

We need to go. We need to leave.

- We can't go.

We can't go. - Why?

- Because this exchange needs to happen.

- There is no exchange. - What?

What are you talking about?

- Those girls are just sitting there waiting.

- Waiting for what?

- Waiting for Arturo to get rid of them.

Chiquito wants them buried. He said they're compromised.

- Do you know where they are? Do you know where they are?

- Avenue C, 10th Street, a massage parlor.

Why? - Do you trust me?

Do you trust me? - Yes.

- I need your phone.

- I've got a ping on Velasco's location,

live signal. Inwood, Mexican restaurant.

- Mobilize ESU.

- Captain, it's me.

- Velasco, are you safe? - Yeah, I'm fine.

Just listen.

Avenue C and 10th, a massage parlor.

That's where the victims are.

You got to go there now. Go now.

- All right, Velasco, hang on, hang on a sec--

- No, they're gonna kill them. Go.

- OK, I got a massage parlor at those cross streets

listed as permanently closed.

- Something tells me Velasco isn't as OK as he says he is.

- What did you just do? - Hopefully saved those women.

I'm a cop.

- It was you. It was you, this whole time.

- Listen to me. Listen to me.

I can explain, but not right now, OK?

I will. - We're dead.

- No, we're not.

- We're dead because you just made that call.

- Shh. We're not dead.

Those women could have been dead,

and I'm not gonna let that happen.

- Who are you? - My name is Joe Velasco.

I'm undercover for the DEA.

- You used me. - Yes, I did, I did.

- You used me. - Hey, hey, hey. I did.

I'm sorry, but I swear to God, I swear to God, it became real.

Look at me. Look at me. Look at me.

- Get off me. - Hey. Shh.

My friends are gonna come get us.

- Your friends are gonna lock me up.

- No, they're not. No, they're not.

You said you trusted me. Do you trust me?

- I don't trust anybody. - OK, I'm--

- You thought I wasn't going to find out, Luis?

- I'm not the rat, Arturo! Not the rat!

- You are the rat!

- I swear to God, I'm not the rat!

- Listen. Listen to me.

I can still get you out. He has my phone and my gun,

but he didn't take these.

You have to take them.

Please, go.

Go.

Go.

- NYPD.

- Place is clear, Captain.

- Hi. It's OK, it's OK.

We're the police.

We're here to help you, all right?

Everyone's safe.

We're here to help you.

You're all safe.

Hey.

You must be Brittany, huh?

- H-how did you know that?

- Because your sister told me.

- She--she's OK?

- Yeah, she's at the hospital, and she's safe.

- She's alive? - Yes, yes, yes.

- I-I stayed quiet.

They--they said that they wouldn't hurt her

if I-- if I stayed quiet.

- You did everything right, OK?

Just take a breath. Take a breath.

You did everything right.

- Can you-- can you take me to her?

- Yes. - OK.

- Your sister helped me find you.

You're all saved.

Let's get you out of here.

Go this way.

- What the hell is she doing in there?

- So you really think it was both of them?

- I think that when Eliana's done,

we have to go.

What the hell is she doing?

- Wait, wait. Wait, hey, hey!

Arturo, hold on.

- Eliana!

- Eliana, stop.

You think I'm an idiot? - Arturo!

- Huh?

- No, no, I just want out, please.

- Put the gun down!

- Please, please, I won't talk. I just want to go.

Please. - What is it, huh?

Fear or guilt? - No.

It's not me.

- Are you the rat? Answer me!

Huh?

Are you the rat? - It's not me.

- It's me!

I'm the rat!

And I'm a cop.

The police are on their way.

You can still get out alive if you put the gun down.

- Please, no.

- Central, we need a bus,

218th and Broadway now.

Oh, man.

I told you to be careful.

- I need a trauma kit, quick.

Come on. Breathe, man.

You got this.

Eliana.

How bad?

- Well, the bullet lodged in your lung.

It didn't punch through, but it collapsed it.

- Sergeant said another inch,

we wouldn't be having this conversation.

- The victims? - They're safe.

- Eliana? - She's safe too.

Velasco, she must be, uh,

quite a woman

to get you involved in all of this.

- Yeah, I told her.

- I would like to see her.

- Uh, Eliana is in the federal protective custody

along with Aguilar.

- Feds want to charge him with murder and trafficking

and Eliana as an accessory.

- She didn't ask for any of this.

- Which is why we interrupted Carisi's week off,

and he is trying to work on a deal with the U.S. attorney.

And if Eliana tells us everything

about Los Sin Fe,

then she'll get into Witness Protection.

- I screwed up bad

trying to do it at all.

I tried to save everything.

- Velasco,

you took so many risks,

and you lied to us,

and I get why,

but let's not confuse that with OK.

- I don't know what I'm gonna do.

I know I gotta talk to the DEA.

I'm sure they're gonna cut me loose.

- I don't know.

Agent Weber has had your back since the beginning.

Maybe she still does.

My take is they'd be crazy

to let a cop like you go.

- I gotta take some time to figure out who I want to be...

And where I can do the most good.

- Yeah.