{{short description|American diplomat}} {{Use American English|date=February 2026}} {{use mdy dates|date=December 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Ronald D. Johnson | image = Ronald Johnson.jpg | alt = Official portrait, 2025 | caption = Official portrait, 2025 | office = [[United States Ambassador to Mexico]] | term_start = May 19, 2025 | term_end = | president = [[Donald Trump]] | predecessor = [[Ken Salazar]] | successor = | office2 = [[List of ambassadors of the United States to El Salvador|United States Ambassador to El Salvador]] | president2 = Donald Trump | predecessor2 = [[Jean Elizabeth Manes]] | successor2 = [[William H. Duncan]] | term_start2 = September 6, 2019 | term_end2 = January 20, 2021 | birth_name = Ronald Douglas Johnson | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] | parents = | relatives = | alma_mater = [[University of the State of New York]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])<br>[[National Intelligence University]] ([[Master of Science|MS]]) | allegiance = United States | branch = [[United States Army]] | service_years = 1971–1998 | rank = [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]] | unit = [[Alabama Army National Guard]] | order = }}
'''Ronald Douglas Johnson''' is an American diplomat who is serving as the [[United States Ambassador to Mexico|United States ambassador to Mexico]]. Johnson served as the [[United States Ambassador to El Salvador|United States ambassador to El Salvador]] from 2019 to 2021.<ref name="Nelson">{{cite news |last1=Renteria |first1=Nelson |title=U.S. extends protected status for Salvadorans in U.S. by at least a year |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-el-salvador/u-s-extends-protected-status-for-salvadorans-in-u-s-by-at-least-a-year-idUSKBN1X71LR |accessdate=27 December 2019 |publisher=Reuters |date=October 28, 2019 |archive-date=27 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191227234147/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-el-salvador/u-s-extends-protected-status-for-salvadorans-in-u-s-by-at-least-a-year-idUSKBN1X71LR |url-status=live }}</ref> He was appointed ambassador by President [[Donald Trump]] on July 3, 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sv.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/our-ambassador/|title=Ambassador Ronald Douglas Johnson{{!}} U.S. Embassy in El Salvador|website=U.S. Embassy in El Salvador|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-23|archive-date=2020-01-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200123172933/https://sv.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/our-ambassador/|url-status=live}}</ref> 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]].<ref name="USEES">{{cite web |title=Ambassador Ronald Douglas Johnson |url=https://sv.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/our-ambassador/ |website=US Embassy in El Salvador |accessdate=27 December 2019 |archive-date=10 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191210025539/https://sv.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/our-ambassador/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> On December 10, 2024, Johnson was selected by Trump to serve as the [[United States Ambassador to Mexico]] during his [[Second presidency of Donald Trump|second term]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Kanishka |date=December 10, 2024 |title=Trump picks Ron Johnson as US ambassador to Mexico |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/trump-picks-ron-johnson-us-ambassador-mexico-2024-12-11/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241211035430/https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/trump-picks-ron-johnson-us-ambassador-mexico-2024-12-11/ |archive-date=December 11, 2024 |access-date=December 10, 2024 |website=Reuters.org}}</ref>
== Early life == Johnson grew up in Alabama.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Murphy |first=T. Christian Miller,Sebastian Rotella,Kirsten Berg,Brett |date=2025-09-30 |title=The Trump-Appointed Diplomat Accused of Shielding El Salvador's President From Law Enforcement |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/ambassador-ronald-johnson-nayib-bukele-trump-el-salvador |website=ProPublica |language=en}}</ref>
He 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, he served in the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] and retired as a colonel.<ref name="USEES" /><ref>[https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/johnson-ronald-d "Ronald D. Johnson"], Office of the Historian, Foreign Service Institute, United States Department of State. Retrieved 1 July 2023.</ref> He 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]].<ref name=":0" />
After leaving the Army in 1998, Johnson joined the CIA.<ref name=":0" /> He is fluent in Spanish.<ref>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= Distinguished member of the Special Forces Regiment: Colonel Ronald D. Johnson|website=[[United States Army]] [[John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School]]|date= April 20, 2023|url= https://www.swcs.mil/Portals/111/DMOR_SF_APR%202023_R%20JOHNSON.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}</ref>
== U.S. ambassador to El Salvador == 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.<ref name=":0" /> Bukele made a request of Johnson that a U.S. embassy contractor, a U.S. citizen, who had provided information to investigators, be removed from El Salvador.<ref name=":0" /> 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."<ref name=":0" />
After his tenure as U.S. ambassador to El Salvador, Johnson continued to support Bukele.<ref name=":0" />
== U.S. ambassador to Mexico == On December 10, 2024, then President-elect Donald Trump announced his nomination of Johnson to serve as the United States ambassador to Mexico.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-11 |title=Donald Trump nominates Ronald D. Johnson as US ambassador to Mexico |url=https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/mexico-johnson-united-states-ambassador/ |access-date=2025-01-21 |website=Mexico News Daily |language=en-US}}</ref> On February 12, 2025, his nomination was sent to the [[United States Senate|Senate]].<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Nominations Sent to the Senate |date=February 12, 2025 |publisher=The White House |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/nominations-sent-to-the-senate/}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lotz |first=Avery |date=2024-03-14 |title=Mexican ambassador pick won't rule out military strikes on cartels |url=https://www.axios.com/2025/03/13/trump-mexico-ambassador-cartels-military-drone-strikes |access-date=2025-03-14 |work=[[Axios (website)|Axios]] |language=en-USA}}</ref>
On April 2, 2025, his nomination was favorably reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 2, 2025 |title=Business Meeting |url=https://www.foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/42ab596e-c2f6-9948-1f19-792f53b4acbd/04%2002%202025%20--%20Business%20Meeting.pdf |access-date=April 30, 2025 |website=U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee}}</ref> On April 8, the U.S. Senate invoked [[cloture]] on his nomination by a 52–44 vote.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 8, 2025 |title=On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Ronald Johnson to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the United Mexican States) |url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00198.htm |access-date=April 30, 2025 |website=senate.gov}}</ref> On April 9, his nomination was confirmed by a 49–46 vote.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 9, 2025 |title=On the Nomination (Confirmation: Ronald Johnson, of Florida, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the United Mexican States) |url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00203.htm |access-date=April 30, 2025 |website=senate.gov}}</ref>
He arrived in Mexico on May 19, 2025 and presented his credentials to President [[Claudia Sheinbaum]] the same day.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mexico |first=U. S. Mission to |date=2025-05-19 |title=U.S. Ambassador to Mexico – Ronald D. Johnson |url=https://mx.usembassy.gov/u-s-ambassador-to-mexico-ronald-d-johnson/ |access-date=2025-08-31 |website=U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Mexico |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>https://x.com/Claudiashein/status/1924562934849491028</ref>
=== Controversy over CIA operations in Mexico ===
In April 2026, a diplomatic dispute emerged between Mexico and the United States following reports that two [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA) officers had died in a vehicle accident in [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]], Mexico, while conducting an anti-drug operation without prior notification to the Mexican federal government.<ref>{{cite news |title=U.S. Personnel Who Died in Mexico Were Working for the CIA, Sources Say |url=https://theintercept.com/2026/04/21/cia-mexico-deaths-drugs/ |work=The Intercept |date=21 April 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=US officials killed in crash identified as CIA |url=http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2026/apr/22/us-officials-killed-in-crash-identified-as-cia/ |work=Arkansas Democrat-Gazette |date=21 April 2026}}</ref>
Chihuahua Governor [[Maru Campos]] was accused by Mexican media and political sectors of allowing foreign agents to operate in her state without informing the [[Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (Mexico)|Secretariat of Foreign Affairs]].<ref>{{cite news |title=El regreso de la CIA |url=https://heraldodemexico.com.mx/opinion/2026/4/23/el-regreso-de-la-cia-800683.html |work=El Heraldo de México |date=22 April 2026 |language=es}}</ref> President [[Claudia Sheinbaum]] considered the incident a matter of national security and sovereignty, and sent a diplomatic note of protest to Ambassador Johnson demanding explanations regarding the officers' activities, their date of entry into Mexico, and their accreditation.<ref>{{cite news |title=Agentes de la CIA en Chihuahua: Sheinbaum pide información a embajador Ronald Johnson |url=https://www.ejecentral.com.mx/nuestro-eje/sheinbaum-tema-de-seguridad-nacional-la-presencia-de-agentes-de-eu-en-un-operativo-en-chihuahua-pide-informacion-al-embajador-ronald-johnson |work=Eje Central |date=22 April 2026 |language=es}}</ref>
As a result, several sectors —including [[Morena (political party)|Morena]] senators, human rights collectives, and political analysts— formally requested Johnson's expulsion as ambassador and the initiation of impeachment proceedings against Governor Campos.<ref>{{cite news |title=Muerte de agentes de la CIA agrieta relación con EU |url=https://heraldodemexico.com.mx/opinion/2026/4/23/muerte-de-agentes-de-la-cia-agrieta-relacion-con-eu-800696.html |work=El Heraldo de México |date=22 April 2026 |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Chihuahua: mucho que explicar |url=https://www.jornada.com.mx/noticia/2026/04/22/editorial/chihuahua-mucho-que-explicar |work=La Jornada |date=22 April 2026 |language=es}}</ref>
The Trump administration downplayed the incident and warned that Mexico must show greater cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking.<ref>{{cite news |title=Muerte de agentes de CIA agrieta relación |work=El Heraldo de México |date=22 April 2026 |language=es}}</ref> Johnson faced his first high-profile diplomatic crisis since his appointment as ambassador.
== Awards and decorations ==
{{flag|El Salvador}} * [[File:Grand Order of Francisco Morazán ribbon bar.svg|60x60px|Grand Order of Francisco Morazán]] [[Grand Order of Francisco Morazán]] (January 18, 2021)<ref name="EP">{{cite web|url=https://elpais.com/mexico/2024-12-12/pragmatico-polemico-e-intimo-de-bukele-el-rastro-salvadoreno-de-ronald-johnson-el-hombre-de-trump-para-mexico.html|title=Pragmático, Polémico e Íntimo de Bukele: el Rastro Salvadoreño de Ronald Johnson, el Hombre de Trump para México|trans-title=Pragmatic, Controversial, and Intimate with Bukele: the Salvadoran Trail of Ronald Johnson, Trump's Man for Mexico|language=es|date=11 December 2024|access-date=17 December 2024|work=[[El País]]|first1=Elías|last1=Camhaji|first2=Byran|last2=Alevar|location=[[Mexico City]] and [[San Salvador]]}}</ref> * [[File:National Order of José Matias Delgado (El Salvador) - ribbon bar.gif|60x60px|National Order of José Matías Delgado]] [[National Order of José Matías Delgado]] (January 18, 2021)<ref name="EP" />
==References== <!--Please retain this citation scheme or else seek consensus for a change per [[WP:CITEVAR]]. --> <references />
{{s-start}} {{s-dip}} {{s-bef|before=[[Jean Elizabeth Manes]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[United States Ambassador to El Salvador]]|years=2019–2021}} {{s-aft|after=[[William H. Duncan]]}} {{s-bef|before=[[Ken Salazar]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[United States Ambassador to Mexico]]|years=2025–present}} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}}
{{USLAambassadors}} {{US ambassadors to Mexico}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Ronald D.}} [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:21st-century American diplomats]] [[Category:Alabama National Guard personnel]] [[Category:Ambassadors of the United States to El Salvador]] [[Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Mexico]] [[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of José Matías Delgado]] [[Category:National Intelligence University alumni]] [[Category:People of the Central Intelligence Agency]] [[Category:Recipients of the Grand Order of Francisco Morazán]] [[Category:USNY Regents College alumni]] [[Category:United States Army colonels]]