The Fly Team is changing — and a familiar face from Chicago P.D. is about to turn FBI: International upside down.

Jesse Lee Soffer, best known for his decade-long portrayal of Jay Halstead on Chicago P.D., is officially stepping into a new role on CBS’s FBI: International — and fans are buzzing. But don’t expect to see him shaking hands with the team in Budapest just yet.

Soffer joins the procedural as Supervisory Special Agent Wesley “Wes” Mitchell, a character showrunner Matt Olmstead describes as “charming and rakish,” a man with laser-sharp instincts, a rebellious edge, and a relentless drive to achieve justice — no matter what lines he has to blur to get there.

But here’s the twist: Wes Mitchell won’t be with the Fly Team when Season 4 opens.

Instead, we’ll meet Soffer’s character knee-deep in an investigation across the Atlantic. His current mission? A brutal “tourism robbery” crew that’s been wreaking havoc in Los Angeles. He’s hunting criminals while battling emotional turbulence at home — specifically, a rocky relationship with his girlfriend that threatens to cloud his judgment.

According to Olmstead, this separate storyline gives fans a raw, unfiltered introduction to Wes before he eventually intersects with the Fly Team. “We wanted viewers to get a sense of who he is — the way he works, how he thinks, and what he’s willing to risk — before he steps into that dynamic,” he explains.

Soffer’s casting fills a major void left by original star Luke Kleintank, who portrayed Special Agent Scott Forrester since the series’ inception. Kleintank made headlines earlier this year when he announced his departure, citing a desire to prioritize his family. “This decision is deeply personal,” he shared, “and rooted in my commitment to my loved ones.”

Forrester’s exit left a cliffhanger in Season 3. After disappearing without warning in the penultimate episode, the finale revealed that he had reunited with his elusive, espionage-laced mother Angela Cassidy — and the two are now on the run, deep in a web of international secrets.

Enter Wes Mitchell: a wildcard, a lone wolf, and possibly the only man unpredictable enough to carry the torch.

But don’t expect a seamless transition.

Sources hint that Wes doesn’t play by the rules. His past may be spotless on paper, but beneath the surface lies a complex agent who’s walked the edge — and may have crossed it. His arrival isn’t just about replacing a lost leader — it’s about testing the team’s limits, especially as they recover from the emotional whiplash of Forrester’s disappearance.

Fans of Jesse Lee Soffer are already thrilled. After his emotional departure from Chicago P.D. in 2022 — where his character Jay Halstead left for Bolivia to lead a military unit hunting cartel operatives — many wondered where Soffer would appear next. That question has now been answered, and it promises fireworks.

Adding to the heat, Station 19 alum Jay Hayden has also been cast in a recurring mid-season role as Tyler Booth, a charismatic intelligence agent stationed in Budapest who may bring his own secrets to the table.

With Soffer and Hayden joining the FBI: International universe, Season 4 is shaping up to be the most explosive yet. The dual casting signals a shift in tone — one that blends Soffer’s intense dramatic grit with the espionage-laced tension the show has built its foundation on.

But with Wes Mitchell’s debut far from the team and cloaked in personal drama, fans are left wondering:

• What dark history is Wes hiding?

• How will his rogue tactics clash with the Fly Team’s methods?

• And when he finally does join the team… who will be willing to trust him?

If there’s one thing clear, it’s this: Jesse Lee Soffer is back. And this time, he’s not playing a loyal cop bound by protocol — he’s playing a man on a mission with nothing to lose.