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This audacious getaway of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, “scary” and very wet sea crossing in the dead of night, according to the American man who claims to have commanded the operation.

A Perilous Nighttime Crossing

Bryan Stern, who leads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the operation in a newly published interview. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing rough and moonless seas that also provided ideal concealment for the flight.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the higher the waves, the harder it is for radar to see,” Stern said.

He described rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she departed from Venezuela, where she had been in hiding for over a year fearing persecution by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Step-by-Step Extraction

She boarded his boat for a half-day journey to an undisclosed location to catch a plane, in a mission planned just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, some cloud coverage, extremely low visibility, boats have no lights. Everyone was quite damp. 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 commented, “She was very happy. She was very excited. She was very tired,” and noted about twenty-four people were actively participating within his team.

Verification and Concealment

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

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

Funding and US Involvement

He told media the endeavor was financed by “a few generous donors” – with no US officials involved. Official US funds were not used, to my knowledge,” Stern said.

He said, however, that his group did coordinate informally with the US military regarding locations and strategy, primarily to prevent being targeted by airstrikes.

Future Plans and Admiration

The opposition leader stated she had American backing to leave Venezuela. She has declared her intention to return home, though the specifics remain uncertain how or when.

Stern said his group would not be involved in a return mission, as it worked only on extracting individuals from countries, not bringing them back. “She must decide that for herself. But I think she should not go back. Yet she is determined. Maria is truly inspirational,” he concluded.