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The daring escape of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, “scary” and soaking boat journey in the dead of night, as detailed by the American man who says he led the mission.

A Perilous Nocturnal Crossing

Bryan Stern, who heads a rescue nonprofit, outlined the mission in a recent interview. It was perilous. It was scary,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing dark and choppy conditions that simultaneously offered ideal concealment for the escape.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the higher the waves, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” he remarked.

He described meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from the country, where she had been in hiding since August 2024 due to fear of persecution by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Step-by-Step Extraction

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an undisclosed location to catch a plane, as part of orchestrated just four days earlier. “This was in the middle of the night – minimal moonlight, some cloud coverage, extremely low visibility, boats have no lights. All of us were pretty wet. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was also chilled and wet. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern added.

Describing her condition, he said, “She was very happy. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” and noted about two dozen people were directly involved within his organization.

Verification and Disguise

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the extraction, which commenced earlier in the week. This report comes after earlier stories that Machado used a wig and costume to leave her hideout in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

The veteran declined to share details about the ground segment, citing his company’s future work in the region.

Financing and American Involvement

He stated publicly the endeavor was financed by “several benefactors” – none of whom were US government figures involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” Stern asserted.

He clarified, though, that his group did coordinate informally with the US military regarding positioning and plans, largely to avoid being mistakenly fired upon.

Future Plans and Admiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to return home, though it is not clear how or when.

Stern indicated his group would not be involved in a return mission, as it worked only on getting people out of countries, not in. “That’s for her to determine for herself. Personally, I advise against returning. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.