Ronald Douglas Johnson is an American diplomat who is serving as the United States ambassador to Mexico. Johnson served as the United States ambassador to El Salvador from 2019 to 2021.[1] He was appointed ambassador by President Donald Trump on July 3, 2019.[2] At the time of his appointment, he was serving as the Central Intelligence Agency’s Science and Technology Liaison to the U.S. Special Operations Command, based in Tampa, Florida.[3] On December 10, 2024, Johnson was selected by Trump to serve as the United States Ambassador to Mexico during his second term.[4]
Johnson grew up in Alabama.[5]
Johnson has a Bachelor of Science from the University of the State of New York and a Master of Science from the National Intelligence University. From 1984 to 1998, Johnson served in the U.S. Army and retired as a colonel.[3][6] Johnson led combat operations in El Salvador as an Army Green Beret during the 1980s, serving as one of 55 U.S. military advisers to the Salvador Army during the Salvadoran Civil War.[5]
After leaving the Army in 1998, Johnson joined the CIA.[5]
Johnson is fluent in Spanish.[7]
During his time as U.S. ambassador to El Salvador, Johnson developed a close friendship with El Salvador president Nayib Bukele and shielded him from a corruption investigation by American and El Salvador investigators.[5] Bukele made a request of Johnson that an U.S. embassy contractor, a U.S. citizen, who had provided information to investigators, be removed from El Salvador.[5] Johnson complied with the request and dismissed the contractor. According to ProPublica, "The dismissal of the contractor was part of a pattern in which Johnson has been accused of shielding Bukele from U.S. and Salvadoran law enforcement."[5]
After his tenure as U.S. ambassador to El Salvador, Johnson continued to support Bukele.[5]
On December 10, 2024, then President-elect Donald Trump announced his nomination of Johnson to serve as the United States ambassador to Mexico.[8] On February 12, 2025, his nomination was sent to the Senate.[9] During his confirmation hearing before the Committee on March 13, 2025, Ronald Johnson did not rule out military action on Mexican soil against the cartels without notifying Mexican authorities if the life of an American citizen was at stake.[10] On April 2, 2025, his nomination was favorably reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote.[11] On April 8, the U.S. Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 52–44 vote.[12] On April 9, his nomination was confirmed by a 49–46 vote.[13] He arrived in Mexico on May 19, 2025 and presented his credentials to President Claudia Sheinbaum the same day.[14][15]
Grand Order of Francisco Morazán (January 18, 2021)[16]
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