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

The Dangerous Nighttime Voyage

Bryan Stern, who heads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the operation in a recent media appearance. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” stated Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing dark and choppy conditions that also provided convenient cover for the escape.

“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 departed from Venezuela, where she had been lying low for over a year fearing targeting by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Step-by-Step Extraction

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an undisclosed location to catch a plane, in a mission orchestrated just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – minimal moonlight, a little bit of cloud cover, very hard to see, boats have no lights. 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 noted.

Regarding her state, he said, She was elated. She was very excited. She was exhausted,” adding that about two dozen people were directly involved within his team.

Verification and Disguise

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s company was behind the extraction, which commenced earlier in the week. This account comes after earlier stories that Machado used a wig and costume 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 organization's ongoing operations in the region.

Financing and American Role

He stated publicly the mission was financed by “a few generous donors” – none of whom were US officials involved. Official US funds were not used, to my knowledge,” Stern said.

He said, however, 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

Machado said she had American backing to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain the method or timing.

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