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This daring getaway of political leader María Corina Machado involved a long, “scary” and very wet boat journey in the pitch black of night, according to the US veteran who says he led the operation.

The Dangerous Nocturnal Crossing

Bryan Stern, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, outlined the operation in a recent media appearance. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing dark and choppy conditions that also provided ideal concealment for the escape.

“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 meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from Venezuela, where she had been in hiding since August 2024 due to fear of targeting by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Detailed Extraction

She boarded his boat for a half-day journey to an secret location to catch a plane, as part of planned just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, a little bit of cloud cover, extremely low visibility, boats have no lights. All of us were pretty wet. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern noted.

Regarding her state, he said, She was elated. She was very excited. She was very tired,” and noted about two dozen people were directly involved within his organization.

Verification and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s company was behind the extraction, which began on Tuesday. This report comes after earlier stories 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, citing his company’s future work in the country.

Financing and US Involvement

He told media the endeavor was financed by “a few generous donors” – with no US officials involved. Official US funds were not used, at least not that I know of,” Stern said.

He clarified, though, that his group did “unofficially collaborate” with the US military regarding positioning and plans, primarily to prevent being mistakenly fired upon.

Next Steps and Inspiration

Machado said she had American backing to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain the method or timing.

Stern indicated his group would play no part in a return mission, as it worked only on getting people out of countries, not bringing them back. “That’s for her to determine and for her to decide. But I think she should not go back. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.