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The audacious escape of political leader María Corina Machado involved a long, frightening and soaking sea crossing in the pitch black of night, according to the American man who claims to have commanded the mission.

The Dangerous Nighttime Voyage

Bryan Stern, who heads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the operation in a recent interview. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, recounting rough and moonless seas that simultaneously offered ideal concealment for the escape.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the bigger the swells, the harder it is for radar to see,” he remarked.

He described rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she left the country, where she had been lying low since August 2024 fearing persecution by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Detailed Extraction

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an secret location to catch a plane, in a mission planned just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – minimal moonlight, a little bit of cloud cover, very hard to see, 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 commented, “She was very happy. She was very excited. She was exhausted,” adding that about twenty-four people were actively participating within his team.

Verification and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s foundation was behind the operation, which commenced earlier in the week. This report comes after previous reporting that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her safe house in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

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

Financing and American Involvement

He stated publicly the mission was financed by “several benefactors” – none of whom were US officials involved. Official US funds were not used, at least not that I know of,” Stern said.

He said, however, that his group did coordinate informally with the US military regarding positioning and plans, primarily to prevent being mistakenly fired upon.

Next Steps and Admiration

Machado said she had American backing to leave Venezuela. She has announced plans to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain how or when.

Stern indicated his group would play no part in a return mission, as it worked only on extracting individuals from countries, not bringing them back. “She must decide that and for her to decide. But I think she should not go back. But she wants to. Maria is truly inspirational,” he concluded.