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The daring escape of political leader María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, “scary” and soaking sea crossing in the dead of night, as detailed by the American man who says he led the mission.

A Dangerous Nocturnal Voyage

Bryan Stern, who leads a rescue nonprofit, outlined the mission in a newly published media appearance. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing dark and choppy conditions that also provided convenient cover for the escape.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the higher the waves, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” he remarked.

He recalled meeting Machado out at sea after she left Venezuela, where she had been in hiding since August 2024 due to fear of persecution by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Detailed Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an secret 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, very hard to see, boats have no lights. All of us were pretty wet. My team and I were soaked to the gills. 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 very tired,” and noted about two dozen people were directly involved within his team.

Confirmation and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s company was behind the extraction, which began on Tuesday. This report comes after previous reporting that Machado used a wig and costume to flee her hideout in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

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

Financing and US Involvement

He stated publicly the endeavor was funded through “a few generous donors” – none of whom were US officials involved. Official US funds were not used, to my knowledge,” Stern said.

He clarified, though, that his group did coordinate informally with the US military regarding locations and strategy, largely to avoid being targeted by airstrikes.

Next Steps and Admiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to depart Venezuela. She has declared her intention to return home, though it is not clear how or when.

Stern said his group would not be involved in that operation, 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 concluded.