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This daring getaway of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado entailed a long, “scary” and very wet boat journey in the pitch black of night, as detailed by the US veteran who says he led the operation.

The Dangerous Nighttime Crossing

Bryan Stern, who leads a nonprofit rescue organisation, outlined the mission in a newly published interview. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, recounting dark and choppy conditions that also provided ideal concealment for the flight.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the higher the waves, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” he remarked.

He recalled meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from Venezuela, where she had been lying low since August 2024 due to fear of persecution by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Detailed Extraction

She boarded his boat for a half-day trip to an secret location to board a flight, in a mission orchestrated just days before. “This was in the middle of the night – very little moon, 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 added.

Describing her condition, he said, She was elated. She was very excited. 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 company was responsible for the operation, which began on Tuesday. This account follows earlier stories that Machado used a wig and costume to flee her safe house in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Stern did not divulge details about the ground segment, referencing his company’s future work in the country.

Financing 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, to my knowledge,” Stern said.

He said, however, that his group did coordinate informally with the American armed forces regarding locations and strategy, largely to avoid being mistakenly fired upon.

Next Steps and Admiration

The opposition leader stated she had American backing to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to go back, though it is not clear how or when.

Stern indicated his group would play no part in a return mission, as it worked only on extracting individuals from countries, not in. “That’s for her to determine for herself. Personally, I advise against returning. Yet she is determined. Maria is truly inspirational,” he concluded.