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This daring escape of political leader María Corina Machado entailed a long, frightening and soaking sea crossing in the dead of night, according to the US veteran who says he led the operation.

The Dangerous Nocturnal Voyage

Bryan Stern, who heads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the mission in a newly published media appearance. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing rough and moonless seas that simultaneously offered ideal concealment for the escape.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the higher the waves, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” Stern said.

He recalled meeting Machado out at sea after she left Venezuela, where she had been in hiding for over a year due to fear of persecution by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Detailed Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour journey to an undisclosed location to catch a plane, in a mission planned just four days earlier. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, 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 pretty cold and wet, too. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern added.

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

Confirmation and Disguise

A representative for Machado verified that Stern’s company was responsible for the operation, which commenced earlier in the week. This report follows previous reporting that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to leave her safe house in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

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

Funding and American Involvement

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

He clarified, though, that his group did “unofficially collaborate” with the American armed forces regarding locations and strategy, primarily to prevent being mistakenly fired upon.

Next Steps and Admiration

The opposition leader stated she had American backing to leave Venezuela. She has declared her intention to return home, though it is not clear how or when.

Stern said his group would not be involved in that operation, as it focuses exclusively on extracting individuals from countries, not bringing them back. “She must decide that for herself. But I think she should not go back. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.