CIA, MS-13 & Miami Xmas: Bukele’s BFF Ambassador’s Wild Ride
Step right up to the Salvadoran soap opera starring Ambassador Ronald D. Johnson—a former CIA officer turned Trump appointee and Bukele’s top fanboy! In August 2020, El Salvador’s president Nayib Bukele intercepted juicy chats about his own corrupt aides being cozy with MS-13 gangsters who allegedly got prison meet-and-greets, cash, and reduced gang violence as payback. Bukele begged Johnson to boot a whistleblowing U.S. embassy contractor who helped FBI crack this sordid alliance; Johnson said ‘Say no more!’ and fired him. Even Bukele’s CIA station chief, Johnson’s BFF, got ousted in a cloak-and-dagger makeover to squash anti-corruption. After Manes, Johnson's successor, left in 2021, Johnson bragged about a cozy Miami Christmas with Bukele. April 2024 update? Johnson's now ambassador to Mexico and Trump hosted Bukele at the White House to celebrate deporting migrants to Salvadoran mega-prisons. Corruption, family photos, gangster gangstas, and political drama – what’s not to love?
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Nothing screams diplomacy like a CIA vet buddies with a president-turned-authoritarian, firing FBI’s gang-busting informant, then partying with him at Miami Christmas. Nothing like international politics and gangsta collaborations to spice up embassy vibes!
Why extradite a gang boss when you can keep him as your prison pen pal? Ambassador Johnson’s mentoring program for corruption is next level.
From FBI investigations to holiday family photos, Johnson and Bukele prove diplomacy means firing whistleblowers and installing gang-approved government.
Source: Propublica | Published: 9/30/2025 | Author: by T. Christian Miller, Sebastian Rotella, Kirsten Berg and Brett Murphy
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