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The daring escape of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado entailed a lengthy, frightening and very wet sea crossing in the pitch black of night, as detailed by the US veteran who says he led the mission.

The Perilous Nocturnal Crossing

Bryan Stern, who heads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the operation in a recent interview. It was perilous. It was scary,” said Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing rough and moonless seas that simultaneously offered convenient cover for the flight.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the bigger the swells, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” Stern said.

He described rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she left Venezuela, where she had been lying low since August 2024 fearing persecution by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Step-by-Step Extraction

Machado embarked on his boat for a half-day trip to an undisclosed location to catch a plane, as part of planned just four days earlier. The operation occurred at midnight – minimal moonlight, some cloud coverage, extremely low visibility, boats have no lights. Everyone was quite damp. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was also chilled and wet. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern noted.

Regarding her state, he said, She was elated. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” adding that about twenty-four people were directly involved within his team.

Confirmation and Disguise

A representative for Machado confirmed that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the extraction, which commenced earlier in the week. This report comes after previous reporting that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her safe house in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

The veteran declined to share details about the land operation, referencing his company’s future work in the country.

Funding and US Involvement

He stated publicly the endeavor was financed by “a few generous donors” – with no US officials involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” Stern said.

He said, however, that his group did coordinate informally with the American armed forces regarding locations and strategy, largely to avoid being mistakenly fired upon.

Future Plans and Inspiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to depart Venezuela. She has declared her intention to return home, though the specifics remain uncertain how or when.

Stern indicated his group would not be involved in that operation, as it worked only on getting people out of countries, not in. “She must decide that for herself. Personally, I advise against returning. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.