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

The Perilous Nocturnal Crossing

Bryan Stern, who leads a rescue nonprofit, outlined the mission in a recent interview. It was perilous. It was scary,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing rough and moonless seas that also provided ideal concealment for the flight.

“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 meeting Machado out at sea after she left the country, where she had been lying low for over a year due to fear of persecution by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Step-by-Step Extraction

She boarded 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. “This was in the middle of the night – minimal moonlight, some cloud coverage, 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 noted.

Regarding her state, he said, “She was very happy. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” and noted about twenty-four people were actively participating within his team.

Verification and Concealment

A representative for Machado confirmed that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the operation, which commenced earlier in the week. This report comes after earlier stories that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her hideout 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 region.

Financing and US Role

He stated publicly the mission was financed by “a few generous donors” – none of whom were US government figures involved. Official US funds were not used, at least not that I know of,” Stern said.

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

Future Plans and Admiration

Machado said 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 said his group would play no part in a return mission, 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. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.