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The daring escape of political leader María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, frightening and soaking sea crossing in the dead of night, according to the US veteran who claims to have commanded the mission.

The Dangerous Nighttime Crossing

Bryan Stern, who leads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the operation in a recent interview. It was perilous. It was scary,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, recounting rough and moonless seas 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 bigger the swells, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” Stern said.

He recalled meeting Machado out at sea after she left Venezuela, where she had been in hiding for over a year due to fear of persecution by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Detailed Extraction

Machado embarked on his boat for a half-day journey to an undisclosed location to catch a plane, as part of orchestrated just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – minimal moonlight, a little bit of cloud cover, extremely low visibility, boats have no lights. Everyone was quite damp. My crew and I were drenched. She was also chilled and wet. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern added.

Describing her condition, he commented, “She was very happy. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” and noted about two dozen people were actively participating within his team.

Verification and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado confirmed that Stern’s foundation was behind the extraction, which commenced earlier in the week. This account comes after previous reporting that Machado used a wig and costume to leave her safe house in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Stern did not divulge details about the land operation, citing his company’s future work in the region.

Funding and US Involvement

He told media the mission was funded through “a few generous donors” – none of whom were US government figures involved. Official US funds were not used, at least not that I know of,” Stern said.

He clarified, though, that his group did coordinate informally with the US military regarding locations and strategy, primarily to prevent being targeted by airstrikes.

Future Plans and Admiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to leave Venezuela. She has announced plans to return home, though it is not clear how or when.

Stern indicated his group would not be involved in that operation, as it focuses exclusively on getting people out of countries, not bringing them back. “That’s for her to determine for herself. But I think she should not go back. Yet she is determined. Maria is truly inspirational,” he said.