Raymond Cruz

Raymond Cruz (born July 9, 1961) is an American actor, best known for his starring role as Detective Julio Sanchez in the series The Closer and his recurring role as the drug lord Tuco Salamanca in the crime drama Breaking Bad and its spin-off Better Call Saul. He currently stars on the series Major Crimes, a spinoff of The Closer, reprising the role of Sanchez. 2Early life Cruz was raised in East Los Angeles, California. He attended East Los Angeles College and is fully literate and fluent in both Spanish and English. He grew up in a neighborhood that regularly saw gang activity, a reality he brings to his roles, particularly as Sanchez and a range of gang-affiliated characters. He has said that becoming interested in American literature early in life is how he avoided the gangs himself. 2Career His film roles include 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, USM 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 Snipe