Raymond Cruz

• Born — 10 September 1964 • Birthplace — East Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1987–present • Spouse — Simi Mehta

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.

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.

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.

• 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"

The authorities additionally record the heading Raymond Garcia. His recorded language was English. He married Simi Mehta.

Raymond Cruz is recorded as actor.