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This audacious getaway of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado entailed a long, “scary” and very wet boat journey in the pitch black of night, as detailed by the US veteran who claims to have commanded the mission.

The Perilous Nighttime Crossing

Bryan Stern, who leads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the operation in a recent media appearance. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” said Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing dark and choppy conditions that simultaneously offered ideal concealment for the escape.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the bigger the swells, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” Stern said.

He described rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she left the country, where she had been in hiding since August 2024 due to fear of targeting by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Detailed Extraction

Machado embarked on his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an secret location to catch a plane, in a mission planned just days before. “This was in the middle of the night – very little moon, a little bit of cloud cover, very hard to see, vessels running dark. All of us were pretty wet. My crew and I were drenched. She was also chilled and wet. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern added.

Describing her condition, he said, She was elated. She was thrilled. She was very tired,” adding that about twenty-four people were directly involved within his team.

Verification and Concealment

A representative for Machado verified that Stern’s foundation was behind the operation, which commenced earlier in the week. This report follows previous reporting that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her hideout in a outskirts 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 American Role

He told media the endeavor was funded through “several benefactors” – 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 “unofficially collaborate” with the US military regarding locations and strategy, primarily to prevent being mistakenly fired upon.

Next Steps and Inspiration

Machado said she had US support to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to return home, though the specifics remain uncertain the method or timing.

Stern indicated his group would not be involved in that operation, as it focuses exclusively on getting people out of countries, not in. “She must decide that and for her to decide. But I think she should not go back. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.