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This audacious getaway of political leader María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, “scary” and very wet boat journey in the dead of night, as detailed by the American man who says he led the mission.

A Perilous Nighttime Voyage

Bryan Stern, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, outlined the operation in a recent interview. “It was dangerous. It was terrifying,” stated Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing rough and moonless seas that simultaneously offered convenient cover for the flight.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the higher the waves, the harder it is for radar to see,” Stern said.

He recalled meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from 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

Machado embarked on his boat for a half-day journey to an undisclosed location to catch a plane, as part of planned just four days earlier. The operation occurred at midnight – minimal moonlight, a little bit of cloud cover, extremely low visibility, vessels running dark. All of us were pretty wet. My crew and I were drenched. She was also chilled and wet. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern noted.

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

Confirmation and Concealment

A representative for Machado verified that Stern’s company was responsible for the operation, which commenced earlier in the week. This report follows earlier stories that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to leave her safe house in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Stern did not divulge specifics about the ground segment, citing his organization's ongoing operations in the region.

Funding and American Involvement

He stated publicly the endeavor was financed by “several benefactors” – with no US officials involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” Stern asserted.

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

Machado said she had US support to depart Venezuela. She has declared her intention to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain the method or timing.

Stern said his group would not be involved in that operation, 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 concluded.