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This daring escape of political leader María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, frightening and very wet sea crossing in the pitch black of night, according to the US veteran who says he led the mission.

A Perilous Nighttime Voyage

Bryan Stern, who leads a nonprofit rescue organisation, detailed the mission in a recent media appearance. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing dark and choppy conditions that also provided convenient cover for the flight.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the bigger the swells, the harder it is for radar to see,” Stern said.

He described meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from Venezuela, where she had been lying low since August 2024 fearing persecution by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Detailed Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a half-day trip to an undisclosed location to board a flight, as part of orchestrated just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, a little bit of cloud cover, extremely low visibility, vessels running dark. Everyone was quite damp. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern added.

Describing her condition, he commented, She was elated. She was very excited. 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 behind the operation, which began on Tuesday. This report follows previous reporting that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to leave her safe house in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

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

Financing and US Role

He told media the endeavor was financed by “a few generous donors” – 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 locations and strategy, largely to avoid being targeted by airstrikes.

Next Steps and Inspiration

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

Stern indicated his group would not be involved in a return mission, as it worked only on getting people out of countries, not in. “She must decide that for herself. But I think she should not go back. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.