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This audacious getaway of political leader María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, frightening and soaking boat journey in the dead of night, according to the American man who claims to have commanded the operation.

A Dangerous Nighttime Crossing

Bryan Stern, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, detailed the operation in a recent media appearance. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, recounting dark and choppy conditions that simultaneously offered convenient cover 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 recalled meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from the country, where she had been lying low since August 2024 due to fear of persecution by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Step-by-Step Escape Plan

Machado embarked on his boat for a 13- to 14-hour journey to an secret location to catch a plane, in a mission orchestrated just four days earlier. “This was in the middle of the night – minimal moonlight, 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 also chilled and wet. She endured a grueling passage,” 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

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s foundation was behind the extraction, which commenced earlier in the week. This account follows earlier stories that Machado used a wig and costume to flee her safe house in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

The veteran declined to share details about the ground segment, referencing his organization's ongoing operations in the region.

Financing and US Role

He told media the endeavor was funded through “a few generous donors” – with no US officials involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, at least not that I know of,” Stern said.

He said, however, that his group did “unofficially collaborate” with the American armed forces regarding positioning and plans, largely to avoid being mistakenly fired upon.

Future Plans and Inspiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to leave Venezuela. She has announced plans to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain the method or timing.

Stern said his group would play no part in a return mission, as it worked only on extracting individuals from countries, not in. “She must decide that for herself. But I think she should not go back. But she wants to. Maria is truly inspirational,” he said.