Lauren Velez was born on November 2, 1964 in Brooklyn, New York. She is the twin sister of Loraine Velez who is also an actress. Lauren landed her first TV role as Nina Moreno in the television series New York Undercover. This was followed by other projects like I Like It Like That where she was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award and The Desi Award for Best Lead Actress. Moreover, she became part of the suspense drama series Dexter as Maria LaGuerta. Maria LaGuerta is a lieutenant who is very much fond of Dexter. Throughout the series, she flirts with him to his discomfort. She appears to be a very smart woman. In addition, she strongly dislikes Debra.