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The audacious escape of political leader María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, “scary” and very wet boat journey in the dead of night, as detailed by the US veteran who claims to have commanded the mission.

The Perilous Nocturnal Voyage

Bryan Stern, who leads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the mission in a newly published interview. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” stated Stern, an ex-special forces operative, 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 rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she left Venezuela, where she had been in hiding since August 2024 due to fear of persecution by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Step-by-Step 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. “This was in the middle of the night – minimal moonlight, some cloud coverage, extremely low visibility, vessels running dark. Everyone was quite damp. My crew and I were drenched. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern noted.

Describing her condition, he said, “She was very happy. She was thrilled. She was very tired,” and noted about twenty-four people were actively participating within his organization.

Confirmation and Disguise

Spokespeople for Machado confirmed that Stern’s company was responsible for the operation, which began on Tuesday. This report follows earlier stories that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to leave her safe house in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

The veteran declined to share specifics about the ground segment, referencing his organization's ongoing operations in the region.

Funding and US Role

He told media the mission was financed by “a few generous donors” – with no US government figures involved. Official US funds were not used, to my knowledge,” Stern said.

He clarified, though, that his group did “unofficially collaborate” with the American armed forces regarding positioning and plans, largely to avoid being targeted by airstrikes.

Future Plans and Inspiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to leave Venezuela. She has declared her intention to go back, though it is not clear how or when.

Stern indicated his group would play no part in a return mission, as it focuses exclusively on getting people out of countries, not bringing them back. “She must decide that for herself. But I think she should not go back. But she wants to. Maria is truly inspirational,” he concluded.