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The audacious getaway of political leader María Corina Machado involved a long, frightening and very wet sea crossing in the dead of night, according to the American man who claims to have commanded the mission.

The Dangerous Nighttime Crossing

Bryan Stern, who heads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the operation in a recent interview. It was perilous. It was scary,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, recounting rough and moonless seas that also provided convenient cover for the escape.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the bigger the swells, the harder it is for radar to see,” he remarked.

He recalled rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she left the country, where she had been lying low for over a year due to fear of targeting by the government 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, as part of orchestrated just days before. “This was in the middle of the night – very little moon, a little bit of cloud cover, extremely low visibility, vessels running dark. All of us were pretty wet. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was also chilled and wet. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern noted.

Regarding her state, he commented, She was elated. She was very excited. She was very tired,” and noted about twenty-four people were actively participating within his organization.

Confirmation and Concealment

A representative for Machado verified that Stern’s foundation was behind the operation, which began on Tuesday. This account follows earlier stories that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to leave her hideout in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

The veteran declined to share specifics about the land operation, citing his company’s future work in the country.

Funding and US Involvement

He stated publicly the mission was funded through “a few generous donors” – with no US government figures involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” Stern said.

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

Future Plans and Admiration

Machado said she had US support to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to return home, though the specifics remain uncertain how or when.

Stern indicated 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 for herself. But I think she should not go back. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.