New US Ambassador to Mexico, a Former CIA Official, Welcomed in Mexico’s National Palace

Ronald Johnson, nominee for U.S. ambassador to Mexico, speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations committee nomination hearing in Washington on March 13, 2025. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

The new U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson—a former CIA official for more than 20 years and a former Green Beret in the U.S. Army Special Forces—arrived in Mexico this week for his first meeting with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Johnson, who was President Donald Trump’s U.S. ambassador to El Salvador from 2019 to 2021, presented his credentials to Sheinbaum in a ceremony at the National Palace in Mexico City on May 19, which he attended with his wife, Alina Johnson, alongside other newly appointed ambassadors to Mexico.

“I thank the president for the conversation and her warmth during the presentation of credentials,” the new ambassador wrote on social media platform X after the ceremony.

Introducing himself to the Mexican people in a video posted on X, he said he is looking forward to working with Sheinbaum on key issues for both countries.

“I will work with her and her team on priorities such as security, the border, and migration,” Johnson said.

“It is an honor to be here in this country to represent our president, Donald Trump, and the American people.”

Johnson, who was born in a small town in Alabama and holds a master’s degree in strategic intelligence from the National Intelligence University, said, “I have dedicated my life to serving my country and serving the cause of freedom around the world.

“From my parents, I learned the importance of family, hard work, and respect for God and others ... values that we share with you.”

He highlighted the importance of the relationship between the United States and Mexico.

“There is no other [relationship] in the world that has a greater impact on the lives of our peoples,” Johnson said. “We are more than partners, we are neighbors and friends.”

‘Very Good Coordination’

Johnson also took the opportunity to introduce his wife, saying she “has been a pillar in my more than 40 years of public service.”

During her morning news conference on May 20, Sheinbaum reiterated the issues that had been addressed.

“Yesterday, we presented credentials to several ambassadors, and finally we presented them to the ambassador of the United States,” she said.

“We discussed some issues that have been on our agenda in recent months: trade, immigration, security, and how there is very good coordination, which we want to maintain.

“He was very respectful in recognizing the work that the Mexican government’s cabinet has done, and I believe that there will be a very good relationship between the ambassador and the government.”

Sheinbaum said that the exchange followed up on the meeting held by Mexico’s security cabinet with members of the U.S. government, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on Feb. 28. At that meeting, both governments discussed building “a new era” of cooperation on security.

“We invite them to come to Mexico on this occasion,” Sheinbaum said. “I brought up the issue of the tax on remittances, with which we disagree.”

Sheinbaum said Johnson was willing to help “both in communicating with the U.S. government and with legislators” in her country.

The Epoch Times has contacted the U.S. Embassy in Mexico for comment.