Episode 4 of Season 4 of FBI: International transports us to the vibrant streets of Barrio De Las Letras in Madrid, where Agent Lopez and his partner are in the midst of making an arrest. However, there's an uneasy undertone to their conversation with the suspect, leaving a lingering sense of suspicion.
Meanwhile, across the continent in Budapest, Amanda entrusts Vo with the care of her daughter as she is summoned to the office. A representative from the Inspector General personally requests her presence, sparking her apprehension about potential trouble. Vo reassures her, dismissing her fears. Upon her arrival, Amanda discovers that she has been chosen for a high-stakes undercover mission, due solely to her exceptional skills. They reveal that they need someone to infiltrate and investigate Lopez, following a tip from fellow agent Christina, who was tragically killed by the cartel before she could file her report. The FBI suspects Lopez of collaborating with the cartel and framing Christina. Their plan? A honey-trap operation, with Amanda as the bait. She accepts the mission, and the Fly team swiftly jets off to Madrid.
In Madrid, Lopez welcomes the Fly team with open arms, closely observing how they interact with Amanda. He assumes they are there to assist in wrapping up a drug case and notes Amanda's apparent detachment from her team – all part of the Fly team's strategy to gain Lopez's trust and make him believe he can manipulate her.
As Amanda works alongside Lopez, Wes interrogates the suspect Lopez had arrested, but the man remains tight-lipped. Lopez portrays himself as passionately committed to bringing the cartel to justice for Christina's sake. He excuses himself to speak privately with a source, fearing he might spook them. In the meantime, the rest of the team plants bugs in the office and taps Lopez's phone.
Their investigation uncovers Lopez's treacherous actions: he's been tipping off the cartel about their movements. However, they need concrete evidence, and Amanda is poised to deliver. She cultivates a bond with Lopez by voicing her lack of trust in her team, feigning eagerness to prove her worth. Lopez falls for her charade and invites her to a restaurant to meet a source. Before departing, Amanda equips herself with a wire, while Wes outlines the boundaries of her operation. They establish a distress signal and send her in.
During the drive, Lopez receives a call from an unknown number, which he dismisses. Amanda discreetly forwards the number to her team. Lopez claims his lavish lifestyle is part of a scheme to entice the cartel and win the trust of his sources. He subtly hints that he senses FBI scrutiny, and Amanda echoes his suspicion by mentioning Wes's odd behavior.
At the restaurant, the source reveals that the cartel has been altering plans due to heightened police activity, offering little before his departure. Later, Lopez engages in a charming and flirtatious conversation with Amanda, extending a warm invitation to her home and even suggesting a fresh role within his team. Unbeknownst to them, Vo takes subtle, covert actions to intervene., rescuing Amanda, while Lopez mistakenly assumes her abrupt departure stemmed from jealousy over another woman's attentions. Meanwhile, Amanda grapples with the concern that she isn't doing enough.
Elsewhere, Raines investigates the number Amanda sent. The trail leads them to Jose Ramos, a cartel insider. Intriguingly, despite Lopez's claims in his reports that Ramos was unhelpful, he went through great lengths to meet with him. Without Lopez's knowledge, Raines and Wes track and apprehend Ramos.
Once Ramos was in their custody, they ensured that Lopez couldn't interrogate him, successfully turning Ramos into an informer against Lopez. However, to nail Lopez, the team needed to catch him in the act. Thus, they orchestrated a scenario where Ramos pretended to spill the beans about the cartel’s operations. This ruse lured Lopez and his accomplice into believing they were on the trail of the cartel's next shipment. Meanwhile, the team devised an ingenious plan to infiltrate Lopez's fortified home.
Lopez, a paranoid soul, seldom welcomed visitors and always conducted thorough searches to detect any hidden recording devices. Amanda, however, devised a clever stratagem to bypass his vigilance. She visited Lopez, presenting herself as a bearer of valuable information. Outside, the team remained vigilant, ready to intervene if anything went awry.
They were already aware that Lopez had contacted the cartel's lawyer, who was clearly agitated. Lopez intended to meet the lawyer at his residence, and Amanda needed to be out before their encounter. Unfortunately, Lopez insisted that Amanda wait in his bedroom during the conversation. Lopez was desperate to find a way to evade the FBI's scrutiny. He disclosed the impending bust to the cartel lawyer and instructed him to eliminate Wes.
The lawyer, however, saw through the trap immediately. There were no cartel shipments or houses in the area Lopez had mentioned. Realizing Lopez's mistake, the lawyer quickly excused himself. Lopez then returned to confront Amanda.
A fierce battle erupted as Raines and Wes rushed to Amanda's rescue. In the bedroom, Amanda fought back fiercely, but Lopez overpowered her, pinning her against the wall and choking her. Thankfully, Wes burst in, diverting Lopez's attention enough for Amanda to seize a nearby bottle and strike him.
After Lopez's arrest, Amanda was troubled by the fact that she had kissed him, potentially violating protocol. Wes, on the other hand, was concerned that the recording device had malfunctioned. To secure Lopez's conviction, they offered his accomplice a reduced sentence if he revealed information about Christina. The accomplice, betraying Lopez, spilled the beans eagerly.
Later, Amanda informed Lopez that his game was up and she eagerly anticipated his trial. However, the episode concluded with a twist: as the team returned home, Wes informed Amanda that Lopez had taken a plea deal, canceling the trial. He offered to give her more fieldwork, but she declined. While Amanda was pleased to have proven herself, her daughter remained her foremost priority.
