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The audacious escape of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado involved a long, frightening and soaking sea crossing in the pitch black of night, according to the US veteran who says he led the operation.

The Perilous Nocturnal Voyage

Bryan Stern, who leads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the mission in a newly published media appearance. It was perilous. It was scary,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, recounting rough and moonless seas that simultaneously offered 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 harder it is for radar to see,” he remarked.

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

A Step-by-Step Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour journey to an secret location to catch a plane, as part of planned just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – minimal moonlight, some cloud coverage, very hard to see, boats have no lights. All of us were pretty wet. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was also chilled and wet. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern noted.

Regarding her state, he commented, She was elated. She was very excited. She was very tired,” adding that about twenty-four people were actively participating within his organization.

Verification and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado confirmed that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the extraction, which began on Tuesday. This report follows previous reporting that Machado used a wig and costume to flee her safe house in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Stern did not divulge details about the land operation, citing his organization's ongoing operations in the country.

Financing and US Role

He told media the mission was funded through “several benefactors” – none of whom were 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 positioning and plans, primarily to prevent being targeted by airstrikes.

Next Steps and Inspiration

The opposition leader stated she had American backing to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to return home, though the specifics remain uncertain how or when.

Stern said his group would not be involved in a return mission, as it focuses exclusively on extracting individuals from countries, not in. “That’s for her to determine for herself. But I think she should not go back. But she wants to. Maria is truly inspirational,” he concluded.