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The audacious getaway of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado entailed a long, frightening and soaking sea crossing in the pitch black of night, according to the American man who says he led the operation.

The Perilous Nighttime Crossing

Bryan Stern, who leads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the operation in a newly published interview. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing dark and choppy conditions that simultaneously offered convenient cover for the escape.

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

He recalled meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from the country, where she had been lying low since August 2024 due to fear of persecution by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Detailed Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour journey to an undisclosed location to board a flight, as part of 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 had a very arduous journey,” Stern noted.

Regarding her state, he commented, She was elated. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” and noted about twenty-four people were directly involved within his team.

Confirmation and Concealment

A representative for Machado verified that Stern’s company was responsible for the extraction, 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 outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

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

Funding and US Role

He told media the mission was financed by “a few generous donors” – none of whom were US government figures involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” Stern asserted.

He clarified, though, that his group did coordinate informally with the American armed forces regarding locations and strategy, largely to avoid being targeted by airstrikes.

Next Steps 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 play no part in that operation, as it worked only on extracting individuals from countries, not in. “That’s for her to determine for herself. Personally, I advise against returning. Yet she is determined. Maria is truly inspirational,” he said.