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This daring getaway of political leader María Corina Machado entailed a long, frightening and soaking boat journey in the pitch black of night, as detailed by the American man who claims to have commanded the mission.

The Perilous Nighttime Voyage

Bryan Stern, who leads a rescue nonprofit, outlined the operation in a newly published interview. It was perilous. It was scary,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, recounting dark and choppy conditions that also provided ideal concealment for the flight.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the higher the waves, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” he remarked.

He described meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from Venezuela, where she had been lying low since August 2024 fearing targeting by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Step-by-Step Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an undisclosed location to catch a plane, as part of planned just four days earlier. “This was in the middle of the night – very little moon, a little bit of cloud cover, 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 endured a grueling passage,” Stern added.

Regarding her state, he commented, “She was very happy. She was thrilled. She was very tired,” and noted about two dozen people were actively participating within his organization.

Verification and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the extraction, which began on Tuesday. This account comes after earlier stories that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her safe house in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

The veteran declined to share specifics about the ground segment, referencing his organization's ongoing operations in the country.

Financing and US Involvement

He told media the mission was funded through “a few generous donors” – with no US officials involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” 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 Inspiration

Machado said she had US support to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to go back, though it is not clear how or when.

Stern said his group would not be involved in a return mission, as it worked only on extracting individuals from countries, not bringing them back. “She must decide that for herself. Personally, I advise against returning. But she wants to. Maria is truly inspirational,” he said.