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This daring escape of political leader María Corina Machado involved a long, “scary” and very wet sea crossing in the dead of night, as detailed by the American man who claims to have commanded the operation.

The Dangerous Nocturnal Voyage

Bryan Stern, who leads a nonprofit rescue organisation, outlined the mission in a recent media appearance. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing rough and moonless seas that also provided convenient cover for the escape.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the bigger the swells, the harder it is for radar to see,” he remarked.

He recalled rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she left Venezuela, where she had been in hiding since August 2024 due to fear of persecution by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Detailed 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. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, some cloud coverage, very hard to see, boats have no lights. All of us were pretty wet. My crew and I were drenched. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern added.

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

Confirmation and Disguise

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the extraction, which began on Tuesday. This report comes after previous reporting that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to leave her safe house in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

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

Financing and American Role

He stated publicly the mission was funded through “several benefactors” – with no US officials involved. Official US funds were not used, at least not that I know of,” Stern said.

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

Next Steps and Inspiration

Machado said she had American backing to leave Venezuela. She has declared her intention to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain how or when.

Stern said his group would play no part in a return mission, as it focuses exclusively on getting people out of countries, not in. “That’s for her to determine for herself. But I think she should not go back. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.