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This daring getaway of political leader María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, frightening and soaking boat journey in the pitch black of night, according to the American man who says he led the mission.

A Perilous Nighttime Crossing

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

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the bigger the swells, 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 since August 2024 fearing targeting by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Step-by-Step Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a half-day trip 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, 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 noted.

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

Confirmation and Concealment

A representative for Machado verified that Stern’s company was behind the extraction, which commenced earlier in the week. This account comes after previous reporting that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her safe house in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Stern did not divulge specifics about the ground segment, citing his organization's ongoing operations in the country.

Financing and American Involvement

He stated publicly the endeavor was funded through “a few generous donors” – with no US government figures involved. Official US funds were not used, to my knowledge,” Stern said.

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.

Future Plans and Inspiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to leave Venezuela. She has announced plans to return home, though it is not clear the method or timing.

Stern said his group would not be involved in that operation, as it focuses exclusively on getting people out of countries, not bringing them back. “That’s for her to determine and for her to decide. But I think she should not go back. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.