After a night of heavy drinking, Dalton Rindell wakes up to a bloody apartment, a terrible cut on his head and a dead woman in his bed. Unable to recall the night before, Rindell immediately calls the police. Detectives Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler suspect the crime is the result of a deadly love triangle; however Rindell does not recognize the victim. After questioning Rindell and the victim's family and friends, Benson and Stabler are provided with leads in several different directions. Unsure which lead to follow, the two detectives decide to return to the bar where the night began in order to piece together the gruesome truth.

When a young couple is found murdered in the back of a padlocked truck, Detectives Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler investigate the scene and link the male victim to a dangerous Mexican drug cartel. Benson and Stabler follow a lead to an abandoned drug den where they are surprised to see FBI Special Agent Dean Porter, who is separately working on the case. Porter tries to take over the investigation, but suspicion arises and the two continue the hunt for the murderer. Following their intuition, Benson and Stabler come across shocking discoveries, which lead them to believe this case is much larger than a mere drug-related murder.