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The audacious getaway of political leader María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, frightening and soaking boat journey in the dead of night, as detailed by the US veteran who claims to have commanded the operation.

The Dangerous Nighttime Voyage

Bryan Stern, who heads a rescue nonprofit, outlined the mission in a recent interview. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” said Stern, a US special forces veteran, recounting rough and moonless seas that simultaneously offered ideal concealment for the flight.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the higher the waves, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” Stern said.

He described rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she left Venezuela, where she had been in hiding since August 2024 fearing targeting by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Step-by-Step Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a half-day 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, very hard to see, vessels running dark. All of us were pretty wet. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern added.

Regarding her state, he said, She was elated. She was very excited. She was very tired,” and noted about twenty-four people were directly involved within his team.

Confirmation and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s company was behind the operation, which began on Tuesday. This account follows previous reporting that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her safe house in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

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

Funding and American Involvement

He stated publicly the mission was funded through “several benefactors” – none of whom were US government figures involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, at least not that I know of,” Stern asserted.

He said, however, that his group did “unofficially collaborate” with the American armed forces regarding positioning and plans, primarily to prevent being targeted by airstrikes.

Future Plans and Admiration

Machado said she had American backing to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to go back, though it is not clear how or when.

Stern said 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.