US Senate narrowly confirms ex-CIA officer Johnson as ambassador to Mexico

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By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed Ronald Johnson, a former ambassador to El Salvador, as ambassador to Mexico, amid ties strained by President Donald Trump’s tariff policy and speculation of U.S. military strikes to fight drug cartels.

The Senate voted 49 to 46 in favor of Johnson, who was an Army Green Beret and CIA officer before serving as ambassador to El Salvador during Trump’s first term.

Only a majority of those present was needed to confirm him for the high-profile diplomatic post. The vote was along party lines, with every yes coming from Trump’s fellow Republicans and every Democrat and independent aligned with Democrats voting no.

Concern has mounted in recent months among some Mexican officials that the Trump administration may be setting the stage to take unilateral military action inside Mexico, an idea Trump floated repeatedly during his presidential campaign.

Trump also has made minimizing immigration into the U.S. from Mexico a feature of his political career, including disparaging Mexicans as criminals and blaming the country for U.S. drug imports.

Most recently, he has sharply increased tariffs on Mexico goods imported into the United States, part of a massive tariff program that has shaken global financial markets.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has defended her country, including saying that Mexico would categorically reject any unilateral U.S. military action within its borders.

She has proposed a constitutional reform aimed at adding protections to Mexico’s national sovereignty.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, editing by Deepa Babington)