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

FILE PHOTO: Ronald Johnson, then newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador, participates in a news conference at El Salvador International Airport in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador September 4, 2019. REUTERS/Jose Cabezas/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed Ronald Johnson, a former CIA officer and ambassador to El Salvador, as ambassador to Mexico, amid ties strained by President Donald Trump's tariff policy and talk he might send in troops to fight drug cartels.

The Senate voted 49 to 46 in favor of Johnson, with only a majority of those present needed to confirm him for the high-profile diplomatic post.