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The daring escape of political leader María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, frightening and very wet sea crossing in the dead of night, as detailed by the US veteran who says he led the mission.

A Perilous Nighttime Crossing

Bryan Stern, who heads a rescue nonprofit, outlined the mission in a newly published interview. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” stated Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing dark and choppy conditions that also provided ideal concealment for the escape.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, 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 meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from the country, where she had been in hiding for over a year due to fear of persecution by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Step-by-Step Escape Plan

Machado embarked on his boat for a half-day journey to an undisclosed location to catch a plane, as part of planned just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, some cloud coverage, extremely low visibility, vessels running dark. Everyone was quite damp. My crew and I were drenched. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern noted.

Regarding her state, he said, “She was very happy. She was very excited. She was very tired,” adding that about two dozen people were directly involved within his organization.

Verification and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s foundation was behind the operation, which commenced earlier in the week. This report follows 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 specifics about the ground segment, citing his organization's ongoing operations in the country.

Funding and US Role

He stated publicly the endeavor was financed by “several benefactors” – none of whom were 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 American armed forces regarding locations and strategy, largely to avoid being mistakenly fired upon.

Next Steps and Admiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to leave Venezuela. She has declared her intention to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain the method or timing.

Stern indicated his group would play no part in a return mission, as it worked only on getting people out of countries, not bringing them back. “She must decide that for herself. But I think she should not go back. Yet she is determined. Maria is truly inspirational,” he said.