Departing US ambassador to Mexico sees 'major changes' under Trump in diplomatic relationship

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The outgoing U.S. ambassador to Mexico said Monday he anticipated “major changes” in the diplomatic relationship between the U.S. and Mexico during the incoming Trump administration.

“There’s a lot of fear because of some of the threats being made,” Ken Salazar said in his final news conference. But he added that in order to fix a “broken” immigration system, the U.S. will need to work hand-in-hand with the Mexican government.

President-elect Donald Trump has threatened crippling tariffs if Mexico doesn't do more to slow migration and stop fentanyl trafficking.

Salazar, who has served as ambassador under the administration of President Joe Biden, is slated to be replaced with Ron Johnson, a former ambassador to El Salvador during Trump's first term who was previously in the CIA. Johnson, who was tapped by Trump in December, awaits Senate confirmation.

Salazar’s departure underscores a larger potential shift in relations between the U.S. and Mexico with the incoming Trump administration and newly elected Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum in power, something that could test the economic and political bonds of the most important diplomatic relationship in the hemisphere.

The neighboring nations have felt very few bumps in their relationship in recent years. Mexico has helped the U.S. block migrants from going north as figures like Salazar have largely avoided criticizing moves by Sheinbaum’s ally and predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

In his departing remarks on Monday, Salazar touted what he called “historic cooperation” between the two countries on security, migration, economic development, and combating fentanyl production.

That relationship was strained last year when López Obrador was angered by criticism from Salazar over a controversial judicial reform his government pushed through, and the dramatic kidnapping and capture of narco boss Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. The tensions at one point caused López Obrador to put relations with the U.S. Embassy “on pause.”

But Trump’s promise of mass deportations and slapping tariffs on Mexico and other trade partners is likely to only deepen those tensions. While Sheinbaum has responded with a stern but collaborative tone towards Trump, it’s still unclear if she will be able to maintain the same amicable relationship that the Trump once shared with López Obrador, also a populist.

Sharing a nearly 2,000-mile (3,218 kilometer) border and an inextricable trade relationship totaling hundreds of billions of dollars a year, maintaining strong diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Mexico have long been a crucial backbone of American foreign policy.

Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar shares a piece of the traditional Rosca de Reyes bread with media members during his farewell news conference in Mexico City, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar shows off one of his hats during the farewell news conference in Mexico City, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rimmed to the south by a 3-mile stretch of Pacific beach, and to the north by craggy bluffs and deep, verdant canyons, the seaside enclave of Pacific Palisades has long been a celebrity hideaway and magnet for those drawn to nature’s doorstep not far from the skyline of downtown Los Angeles.

Venerated in song and a backdrop for a long list of films and TV shows, The Beach Boys celebrated its famous waves in “Surfin’ U.S.A.” The comedian Jerry Lewis lived there and was once honorary mayor, and the eponymously named TV series “Pacific Palisades” was produced by Aaron Spelling.

Bookended by Malibu to the west and Santa Monica to the southeast, the neighborhood of 23,000 within sprawling Los Angeles might not be as well known as its neighbors, but it has a rich, celebrity-studded history that followed its founding in the early 1920s.

A raging coastal wildfire Tuesday put the community in the headlines, as firefighters sought to hold off the spreading flames amid a strengthening windstorm as thousands of residents fled for safety. Smoke from the fire was visible for miles along the coastline.

Actor James Woods was among those who posted footage of flames burning on a hill near his home. “Standing in my driveway, getting ready to evacuate,” Woods said in the short video on X.

Actor Steve Guttenberg, who lives in the Pacific Palisades, urged people who abandoned their cars to leave their keys behind so they could be moved to make way for fire trucks. “This is not a parking lot,” Guttenberg told KTLA.

Envisioned a century ago as a religious commune, today Pacific Palisades' narrow, winding roads are lined with homes clinging to the hillsides overlooking the ocean. The median listing price is $4.6 million, with one eight-bedroom estate priced at nearly $40 million, according to the website Realtor.com

The community also is known for its walkable, small-town like commercial district, which lures visitors with its farmers’ market and trendy restaurants and shops. One of its most popular attractions is the Getty Villa, a branch of the famous J. Paul Getty Museum focused on Greek and Roman antiquities.

The Palisades Fire burns a residence in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

The Palisades Fire burns a residence in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)