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The audacious escape of political leader María Corina Machado entailed a long, “scary” and very wet sea crossing in the pitch black of night, according to the American man who claims to have commanded the operation.

A Dangerous Nocturnal Crossing

Bryan Stern, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, detailed the mission in a recent media appearance. “It was dangerous. It was terrifying,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, recounting dark and choppy conditions that also provided convenient cover 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 more difficult radar detection becomes,” he remarked.

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.

The Detailed Extraction

Machado embarked on his boat for a half-day trip to an undisclosed location to board a flight, as part of planned just four days earlier. The operation occurred at midnight – minimal moonlight, some cloud coverage, very hard to see, vessels running dark. 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 added.

Describing her condition, he commented, “She was very happy. She was very excited. She was exhausted,” and noted about twenty-four people were actively participating within his team.

Verification and Concealment

A representative for Machado confirmed that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the operation, which commenced earlier in the week. This account follows previous reporting that Machado used a wig and costume to leave her hideout in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Stern did not divulge details about the land operation, referencing his company’s future work in the region.

Financing and American Involvement

He stated publicly the endeavor was financed by “a few generous donors” – none of whom were US officials involved. Official US funds were not used, at least not that I know of,” Stern said.

He clarified, though, that his group did coordinate informally with the American armed forces regarding locations and strategy, primarily to prevent being mistakenly fired upon.

Next Steps and Inspiration

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

Stern said 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. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.