Raymond Cruz (born September 10, 1964)https://app5.lasd.org/iic/Details is an American actor, best known for his starring role as Detective Julio Sanchez in the series The Closer and its spin-off Major Crimes, his recurring role as drug lord Tuco Salamanca in the crime drama Breaking Bad and its prequel series Better Call Saul, and his role as exorcist Rafael Olvera in The Curse of La Llorona and The Revenge of La Llorona.
Early life Cruz was born and raised in East Los Angeles, California, and is of Mexican descent. He grew up in a neighborhood that regularly saw gang activity, and had relatives in such gangs as Maravilla and Barrio South Gate. He witnessed a shooting at age 12, noting the victim's "brains came out the back of his head". For his portrayal of Tuco Salamanca, he was able to relate to his experiences witnessing people who were high on methamphetamine.
Cruz has said that becoming interested in American literature early in life helped him avoid joining such gangs himself. His favorite novel is Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. Cruz attended three high schools after being expelled for writing editorials that satirized and questioned school policies. He attended East Los Angeles College, where he got "sidetracked" into theater.
Career Cruz's film roles include sniper Ding Chavez in Clear and Present Danger, Hector in Out for Justice, Tom Berenger's second-in-command Joey Six in The Substitute, U.S. Marine Sergeant Rojas in The Rock, as Jesus in From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money, USMC Private Vincent DiStephano in Alien Resurrection, and Ramirez in Under Siege. He appeared as Chuey, a gang member from the Vatos Locos, in the gang film Blood In Blood Out.
In 2005, he played Chino in Havoc. He appeared in Gremlins 2: The New Batch, credited as "The Messenger," and in Training Day as a gang member named Sniper. He played a Los Angeles firefighter in Collateral Damage. He had guest roles in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "The Siege of AR-558", The X-Files episode "El Mundo Gira", and the second season of 24. He also made an appearance as the father of a murdered girl in CSI. He played Det. Julio Sanchez for the entire seven season run of The Closer and continued in that role for all six seasons of the spin-off Major Crimes.
Cruz performed the well-known role of Tuco Salamanca, a sadistic and maniacal meth dealer in Breaking Bad in 2008 and 2009, a role he reprised in 2015 and 2016 during the first two seasons of the Breaking Bad prequel spin-off, Better Call Saul. He had a recurring role as Paco on My Name Is Earl, and as Alejandro Perez on Nip/Tuck.
Personal life Cruz is married to fellow actress Simi Mehta with whom he co-starred on The X-Files in the episode "El Mundo Gira".
On September 8, 2025, Cruz was arrested after allegedly spraying a woman with his water hose outside his house. He was released on his own recognizance and had a court date scheduled for October 1, but the charges were dropped.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1987 Maid to Order Sam 1988 Twice Dead Gang Member 1989 I Know My First Name Is Steven Punk 1990 Gremlins 2: The New Batch The Messenger Cold Dog Soup Gang Member 1991 Prison Stories: Women on the Inside Montoya Television film Dead Again Store Clerk Out for Justice Hector Fallen Angels Diego Television film 1992 Man Trouble Balco Nails Paco Sanchez Television film Judgement Cyclone Under Siege Ramirez 1993 Blood In Blood Out Chuey When the Party's Over Mario 1994 Dead Badge Tomas Gomez Clear and Present Danger Ding Chavez Dragstrip Girl Doogie Television film 1995 Operation Dumbo Drop Staff Sergeant Adams Uncredited 1996 The Substitute Joey "Six" The Rock Sergeant Rojas Uncredited Up Close & Personal Fernando Buttanda Broken Arrow USAF Lieutenant Colonel Uncredited 1997 Last Stand at Saber River Manuel Television film Alien Resurrection Private Vincent DiStephano 1998 Playing Patti 1999 From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money Jesus The Last Marshal T-Boy 2000 Blood Money Gutierrez Television film 2001 Training Day Sniper 2002 Collateral Damage Junior 2004 Just Hustle Spanish Professor My Name Is Modesty Raphael Garcia 2005 Havoc Chino Brothers in Arms Reverend 2006 10 Tricks Sal 2015 Cleveland Abduction Ariel Castro Television film 2019 The Curse of La Llorona Rafael Olvera 2020 Wander Luis Santiago 2021 Blue Miracle Hector 2023 Medellin El Diablo2025 Love, Danielle Stan DeManuel Aztec Batman: Clash of EmpiresYoka / Joker (voice)Direct-to-Video 2027 Rafael OlveraPost-production
Television Year Title Role Notes 1988 Beauty and the Beast Hal Episode: "Down to a Sunless Sea" Cagney & Lacey Alonzo Episode: "Land of the Free" CBS Schoolbreak Special Angel Perez Episode: "Gangs" Vietnam War Story Diaz Episode: "Separated" Knots Landing Van Driver, Young Man 2 episodes 1989 A Nightmare on Drug Street Felipe Short Film 1990 Hunter Tomas Delgado Episode: "La Familia" Freddy's Nightmares Johnny "Mac" McFarland Episode: "Life Sentence" Matlock Alien Worker Episode: "The Cookie Monster" Lifestories Episode: "Frank Brody" China Beach Lopez Episode: "One Small Step" 1993 Murder, She Wrote José "Joseph" Galvan Episode: "Double Jeopardy" 1995 The Marshal Rossiter Episode: "The Ballad of Lucas Burke" Walker, Texas Ranger Sergeant Perez Episode: "Case Closed" 1995–2000 NYPD Blue Raoul / Rico 2 episodes 1995–2000 The Eddie Files Johnny 16 episodes 1997 The X-Files Eladio Buente Episode: "El Mundo Gira" Cracker MacCormick Episode: "'Tis Pity She's a Whore" 413 Hope St. Rico Episode: "Lost Boys and Gothic Girls" 1998 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Vargas Episode: "The Siege of AR-558" The Practice Miguel Moreno Episode: "Truth and Consequences" 1999 Seven Days Rodriguez Episode: "Daddy's Girl" 2000 Strange World Rinaldo Molina Episode: "Man Plus" Seven Days Teo Millar Episode: "The Cuban Missile" Harsh Realm Sergeant Escalante 2 episodes 2002 Robbery Homicide Division Jesus "Termite" Rosales Episode: "City of Strivers" Boomtown Ruben Episode: "Crash" 2002–2003 The Division Roland / Ray Sanchez 3 episodes 2003–2011 CSI: Miami Martin Medesto / Marcos Trejo 2 episodes 2003 24 Rouse 2 episodes 2003–2008 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Miguel Durado / Donald Balboa 2 episodes 2003–2006 Nip/Tuck Alejandro Perez 2 episodes 2005–2012 The Closer Detective Julio Sanchez 105 episodes 2007–2008 My Name Is Earl Paco 5 episodes 2007 Day Break Luis Torres 2 episodes 2008 Ylse Jesse 2008–2009 Breaking Bad Tuco Salamanca 4 episodes 2011 Los Americans Memo 7 episodes 2012 White Collar Enrico Morales Episode: "Most Wanted" 2012–2018 Major Crimes Julio Sanchez 105 episodes 2013 Lauren Martinez 3 episodes; Web series 2015–2016 Better Call Saul Tuco Salamanca 3 episodes 2016 The Eric Andre Show Himself Episode: "Raymond Cruz; Amber Rose" 2018 Get Shorty Swayze 2 episodes 2019 Madam Secretary President Mateo Sandino Sr. Episode: "Something Better" 2023 Mayans M.C. Smokey 2024 Grey's Anatomy Daniel Jiménez (inmate) Episode: "The Marathon Continues"
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