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

The Perilous Nocturnal Crossing

Bryan Stern, who leads a nonprofit rescue organisation, outlined the operation in a newly published media appearance. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, recounting rough and moonless seas that also provided ideal concealment for the escape.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the higher the waves, the harder it is for radar to see,” Stern said.

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

A Step-by-Step Extraction

She boarded his boat for a half-day journey to an undisclosed location to board a flight, in a mission orchestrated just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – minimal moonlight, some cloud coverage, 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 endured a grueling passage,” Stern added.

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

Verification and Concealment

A representative for Machado confirmed 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 leave her hideout in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

The veteran declined to share specifics about the ground segment, referencing his company’s future work in the country.

Funding and American 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 coordinate informally with the US military regarding positioning and plans, primarily to prevent being mistakenly fired upon.

Next Steps and Admiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to depart Venezuela. She has declared her intention to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain the method or timing.

Stern indicated his group would play no part in a return mission, as it worked only on getting people out of countries, not in. “That’s for her to determine and for her to decide. Personally, I advise against returning. Yet she is determined. Maria is truly inspirational,” he said.