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The daring escape of political leader María Corina Machado entailed a lengthy, “scary” and soaking boat journey in the dead of night, as detailed by the American man who claims to have commanded the operation.

The Perilous Nighttime Crossing

Bryan Stern, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, outlined the mission in a newly published interview. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” said Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing dark and choppy conditions 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 more difficult radar detection becomes,” he remarked.

He described meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from the country, where she had been in hiding since August 2024 due to fear of targeting by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Step-by-Step Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a half-day journey to an undisclosed location to board a flight, in a mission planned just four days earlier. 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.

Describing her condition, he said, She was elated. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” and noted about two dozen people were directly involved within his team.

Confirmation and Disguise

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

The veteran declined to share specifics about the land operation, citing his organization's ongoing operations in the region.

Funding and US Involvement

He told media the mission was funded through “several benefactors” – none of whom were US government figures involved. Official US funds were not used, to my knowledge,” Stern asserted.

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.

Future Plans and Admiration

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

Stern indicated his group would play no part in that operation, as it focuses exclusively on extracting individuals from countries, not in. “She must decide that and for her to decide. Personally, I advise against returning. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.