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This audacious 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 operation.

A Perilous Nocturnal Voyage

Bryan Stern, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, detailed the operation in a recent 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,” Stern said.

He recalled meeting Machado out at sea after she left Venezuela, where she had been in hiding for over a year due to fear of persecution by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Detailed Extraction

She boarded 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 – minimal moonlight, a little bit of cloud cover, extremely low visibility, boats have no lights. All of us were pretty wet. My crew and I were drenched. She was also chilled and wet. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern noted.

Regarding her state, he commented, She was elated. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” adding that about twenty-four people were directly involved within his organization.

Verification and Concealment

A representative for Machado verified that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the operation, which began on Tuesday. This report follows previous reporting that Machado used a wig and costume to leave her safe house in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

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

Financing and US Involvement

He told media the endeavor was funded through “several benefactors” – none of whom were US officials involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” Stern asserted.

He said, however, that his group did “unofficially collaborate” with the American armed forces regarding positioning and plans, largely to avoid being mistakenly fired upon.

Future Plans and Admiration

The opposition leader stated she had American backing 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 and for her to decide. Personally, I advise against returning. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.