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This daring escape of political leader María Corina Machado entailed a long, frightening and very wet sea crossing in the dead of night, as detailed by the US veteran who claims to have commanded the mission.

A Perilous Nighttime Voyage

Bryan Stern, who leads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the operation in a recent media appearance. “It was dangerous. It was terrifying,” said Stern, a US special forces veteran, recounting dark and choppy conditions that also provided convenient cover for the flight.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the higher the waves, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” Stern said.

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

The Step-by-Step Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour journey to an secret location to board a flight, as part of planned just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, some cloud coverage, very hard to see, vessels running dark. Everyone was quite damp. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern noted.

Describing her condition, he commented, “She was very happy. She was very excited. She was very tired,” adding that about two dozen people were actively participating within his organization.

Verification and Disguise

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

Stern did not divulge specifics about the ground segment, citing his company’s future work in the country.

Funding and US Involvement

He stated publicly the mission was financed by “several benefactors” – none of whom were US officials involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” Stern asserted.

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

Next Steps and Admiration

Machado said she had American backing to leave Venezuela. She has declared her intention to return home, though it is not clear the method or timing.

Stern indicated his group would not be involved in that operation, as it worked only on getting people out of countries, not bringing them back. “That’s for her to determine and for her to decide. Personally, I advise against returning. Yet she is determined. Maria is truly inspirational,” he concluded.