Quickly after he took up his submit in El Salvador, U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson cast an unusually shut relationship with the nation’s president.
President Trump had nominated Mr. Johnson in 2019 as his ambassador to the nation shortly after the White Home declared struggle on El Salvador’s notoriously violent gangs, together with MS-13.
The connection between Mr. Johnson and the Salvadoran president, Nayib Bukele, was shut sufficient that it fearful some officers. The 2 posted images on social media of their households spending weekends collectively and tweets highlighting their “private friendship.”
That bond remained agency even in 2020 when the Salvadoran president was accused of secretly colluding with native gangs, seven present and former officers stated. Mr. Johnson defended him and publicly dismissed a letter from U.S. Republican congressmen elevating issues in regards to the declare.
Then, with out clear cause, a U.S. Embassy workers member investigating the federal government’s potential ties to the gangs was despatched house early.
The ambassador’s actions appeared to contradict the pursuits of the Trump administration, argued three present and former American officers who labored straight with Mr. Johnson. He appeared extra targeted on defending a international chief, the officers stated, than on dismantling the Salvadoran prison organizations working each there and inside the US.
Now Mr. Johnson has been tapped once more by President Trump, this time to be the U.S. ambassador to Mexico. He was confirmed on Wednesday by a Senate vote of 49-46.
In an emailed response, Mr. Johnson described his relationship with Mr. Bukele as “cordial,” one thing wanting the bond advised by posts like one displaying them consuming crab collectively, sporting grins and big bibs.
Mr. Johnson additionally stated he was dedicated to dismantling Salvadoran gangs. “The dismantling of the vicious MS-13 gang, and different Salvadoran gangs, started throughout my tenure and it continues right now beneath the management of President Trump,” he stated.
The White Home didn’t reply to a request for remark, however clearly Mr. Trump was supportive sufficient of Mr. Johnson’s efficiency in El Salvador to supply him a brand new — and extra vital — submit.
As a veteran navy and C.I.A. officer, Mr. Johnson had a protracted profession stretching from Latin America to Asia, however his stint in El Salvador, from September 2019 till January 2021, was his solely diplomatic submit.
Mexico is a a lot greater task, a key U.S. buying and selling associate, and Mr. Johnson will arrive there at one of many tensest chapters within the nation’s relations with the US.
Mr. Trump has threatened to ship troops into Mexican territory to destroy the nation’s drug cartels, which his administration lately designated as terrorist organizations. Mexico’s president warns that any unilateral American navy motion could be a violation of sovereignty.
Mr. Johnson’s expertise with covert C.I.A. operations could also be why he was picked for the ambassadorship, these near him say, to defend a coverage he is aware of nicely.
“His expertise as a Inexperienced Beret and a seasoned C.I.A. officer in Latin America and elsewhere means he is aware of the problems, on protection safety and particularly counter terrorism,” stated Mick Mulroy, a senior Pentagon official within the first Trump administration and a pal of Mr. Johnson.
But throughout his time in El Salvador, two U.S. Embassy staffers and two senior American diplomats stated they warned Mr. Johnson that he and his spouse have been getting too near Mr. Bukele, however that the ambassador disregarded these issues. Mr. Johnson even informed colleagues he was the godfather to Mr. Bukele’s oldest daughter, in accordance with two former diplomats.
Mr. Johnson denied receiving such warnings and that he was the godfather of Mr. Bukele’s daughter.
Mr. Bukele created a nationwide award for Mr. Johnson simply earlier than he departed as ambassador, which stays El Salvador’s highest honor and has solely been given twice.
Whereas cultivating relationships is a part of the job for diplomats, they’re usually discouraged from forging private ties with politicians within the nations the place they serve, out of a priority that these bonds could possibly be used to control them.
“We’d like our ambassadors to have an in depth relationship with heads of state, however we’d like to ensure they’re serving the curiosity of the American individuals first,” stated Eric L. Olson, an analyst on Central America.
Mr. Johnson additionally clashed together with his workers over the involvement of his spouse, Alina Johnson, in diplomatic affairs, in accordance with three American officers.
The ambassador would typically introduce Ms. Johnson as his “co-ambassador” in official conferences, complicated Salvadoran officers, in accordance with two U.S. Embassy officers and an area businessman who met with them. Mr. Johnson would additionally typically reject the embassy’s official translator to as an alternative have his Cuban-born spouse translate formal conferences for him, in accordance with two embassy staffers. His spouse additionally informed embassy staffers that she weighed in on Salvadoran legislative affairs with Mr. Bukele, they added.
Mr. Johnson denied these claims and stated his spouse was “nicely conscious of a spouses’ position” in his response to The New York Instances.
In 2020, Mr. Bukele was accused by the Salvadoran media outlet El Faro of secretly colluding with the nation’s gangs, agreeing to offer perks and higher remedy to imprisoned gang members, like visits from prostitutes and cellphones. In alternate, the report stated, the gangs would cut back homicides and provides their help to Mr. Bukele’s get together within the coming election.
Such negotiations would violate Salvadoran legal guidelines, which labeled the gangs as terrorist organizations and prohibited politicians from negotiating with them. When Mr. Bukele grew to become president in 2019, he vowed he would go arduous on the gangs, like no chief earlier than.
The El Faro investigation challenged Mr. Bukele’s tough-on-crime message.
It additionally caught the eye of six Republican congressmen, who wrote a scathing letter to the Salvadoran president saying they have been “troubled by stories that the federal government of El Salvador could possibly be legitimizing MS-13.”
Mr. Bukele dismissed the letter on nationwide tv, saying the U.S. representatives who signed it “don’t symbolize 5 % or 3 % of Congress.” Mr. Johnson echoed Mr. Bukele, underscoring that the letter was signed by a “small portion” of Congress.
Shortly after, El Salvador’s lawyer normal raided the bureau of prisons, seizing arduous drives, log books and CCTV footage, in accordance with media stories on the time. Stress was constructing on Mr. Bukele because it appeared Salvadoran and U.S. prosecutors have been getting ready separate indictments to prosecute his authorities, in accordance with two American officers.
That’s when an American diplomat investigating allegations of a secret take care of the gangs was abruptly despatched again to the US, in accordance with U.S. and Salvadoran officers.
When he landed in Washington, the diplomat was informed that each the Salvadoran authorities and his personal boss, Mr. Johnson, had wished him out of nation, in accordance with three individuals who debriefed the diplomat upon his return.
“Given what we all know in regards to the nature of the Bukele administration and its dealings with the gangs, to ship somebody house within the midst of their work on an investigation like that may be disruptive,” stated Mark Feierstein who labored beneath a number of American administrations for the reason that Nineteen Nineties.
Final month in a Senate committee listening to, Mr. Johnson stated the U.S. official investigating the administration’s relationship with the gangs was dismissed as a result of he was having “unauthorized conferences” with journalists, however offered few particulars. Mr. Johnson denied having something to do with the choice and stated he had “deferred to his boss” on whether or not to ship the diplomat house, with out elaborating.
In his response to The Instances, Mr. Johnson stated he had “neither dismissed or professionally penalized U.S. Embassy staffers.”
However three of the diplomat’s superiors have been upset that he was despatched house early, in accordance with individuals who spoke with them on the time.
The ousting of the American diplomat despatched a chill by each the U.S. Embassy and the Salvadoran investigative unit probing allegations of presidency collusion with the gangs, American officers stated.
After that, Mr. Bukele’s authorities appeared to hinder U.S. efforts aimed toward dismantling Salvadoran gangs. In November 2021, the federal government secretly freed a high MS-13 chief from jail, regardless of a U.S. extradition request, in accordance with a Justice Division detention order reviewed by The Instances.
Mr. Bukele’s authorities didn’t reply to questions for this story however has beforehand denied hyperlinks to the gangs.
Officers surprise why Mr. Johnson was such a defender of Mr. Bukele.
Some contend that Mr. Johnson’s judgment was skewed by friendship. Others level to Mr. Bukele’s success in decreasing homicides throughout El Salvador, which had been dubbed the homicide capital of the world earlier than killings dropped 45 % from 2019 to 2020.
Nonetheless others level to Mr. Bukele’s take care of the primary Trump administration to require Central American migrants touring by El Salvador to hunt refuge there as an alternative of the US, signed weeks after Mr. Johnson arrived. In keeping with two former American officers, the ambassador often informed embassy staffers to not pursue any tasks which will upset Mr. Bukele and jeopardize the settlement, which he stated was an vital bilateral achievement.
Mr. Johnson’s tenure as ambassador led to January 2021, when President Biden was sworn in. The next month, Mr. Bukele’s get together received a majority in Congress and swiftly dissolved the Salvadoran investigative unit wanting into the gang negotiations. That affected a separate Justice Division investigation, in accordance with two former American officers.
Nonetheless, in December of that 12 months, the U.S. Treasury Division sanctioned two senior Salvadoran officers after its personal investigations concluded that they had orchestrated covert agreements with gang leaders.
A couple of months later, any settlement between the gangs and the federal government appeared to break down, resulting in a killing spree within the nation’s capital that left dozens of individuals lifeless.
The federal government shortly imposed a state of emergency that is still in place right now, mobilizing police and the navy forces to perform mass arrests.
Though not holding any public workplace, Mr. Johnson continued to advocate for Mr. Bukele, whilst Mr. Bukele began referring to himself because the world’s “coolest dictator.”
Mr. Johnson ratcheted up help for him throughout his re-election final 12 months, in accordance with a pal of Mr. Johnson and an American official. This included enlisting notable Republicans like Donald Trump Jr. to attend the inauguration. (Authorized students say Mr. Bukele violated his nation’s Structure by working once more).
Final month, the Trump administration despatched migrants to El Salvador as a part of a brand new deal to deal with suspected Venezuelan and Salvadoran gang members in El Salvador’s mega jail. As a part of the settlement, Mr. Bukele has pressed Washington to return MS-13 leaders in U.S. custody to El Salvador, although just one has been despatched again one up to now.
“If the U.S. sends again MS-13 leaders to El Salvador, it might be a catastrophe for ongoing Justice Division investigations into the gangs and the offers they struck with Bukele’s authorities,” stated Mr. Olson, the analyst. “Bukele has each curiosity in ensuring that their info isn’t utilized in U.S. courtroom circumstances or prosecutions and he’ll lock them up and throw away the important thing.”
Gabriel Labrador contributed reporting from San Salvador. Alain Delaquérière contributed analysis.
