🔗 Share this article

The daring getaway of political leader María Corina Machado entailed a lengthy, frightening and soaking sea crossing in the dead of night, according to the American man who claims to have commanded the operation.

A Dangerous Nocturnal Voyage

Bryan Stern, who leads a nonprofit rescue organisation, outlined the operation in a recent media appearance. It was perilous. It was scary,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing dark and choppy conditions 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 more difficult radar detection becomes,” he remarked.

He recalled rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she departed from the country, where she had been in hiding since August 2024 due to fear of persecution by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Step-by-Step Extraction

She boarded his boat for a half-day journey to an undisclosed location to catch a plane, as part of planned just days before. “This was in the middle of the night – very little moon, some cloud coverage, extremely low visibility, vessels running dark. Everyone was quite damp. My crew and I were drenched. She was also chilled and wet. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern added.

Regarding her state, he said, She was elated. She was thrilled. She was very tired,” adding that about two dozen people were directly involved within his team.

Verification and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s foundation was behind the extraction, which commenced earlier in the week. This report comes after earlier stories that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to leave her safe house in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

The veteran declined to share specifics about the ground segment, referencing his company’s future work in the region.

Funding and US Role

He stated publicly the mission was financed by “several benefactors” – with no US government figures involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” Stern asserted.

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

Future Plans and Admiration

Machado said she had US support to leave Venezuela. She has announced plans to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain the method or timing.

Stern indicated his group would not be involved in a return mission, as it worked only on extracting individuals from countries, not in. “She must decide that and for her to decide. But I think she should not go back. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.