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The audacious getaway of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado entailed a long, frightening and soaking sea crossing in the pitch black of night, according to the US veteran who says he led the mission.

A Perilous Nighttime Voyage

Bryan Stern, who heads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the mission in a newly published media appearance. It was perilous. It was scary,” said Stern, a US special forces veteran, recounting dark and choppy conditions that simultaneously offered ideal concealment for the flight.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the bigger the swells, the harder it is for radar to see,” Stern said.

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

A Step-by-Step Extraction

She boarded his boat for a half-day trip to an secret location to catch a plane, as part of orchestrated just days before. “This was in the middle of the night – minimal moonlight, a little bit of cloud cover, extremely low visibility, vessels running dark. All of us were pretty wet. My crew and I were drenched. She was also chilled and wet. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern noted.

Regarding her state, he commented, She was elated. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” and noted about twenty-four people were actively participating within his organization.

Confirmation and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado confirmed that Stern’s company was responsible for the operation, which commenced earlier in the week. This report follows previous reporting that Machado used a wig and costume to leave her hideout in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

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

Financing and American Involvement

He told media the endeavor was funded through “several benefactors” – none of whom were US government figures involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” Stern said.

He said, however, that his group did coordinate informally with the American armed forces regarding positioning and plans, largely to avoid being mistakenly fired upon.

Next Steps 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 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 bringing them back. “She must decide that for herself. Personally, I advise against returning. Yet she is determined. Maria is truly inspirational,” he concluded.