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The audacious escape of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, “scary” and soaking sea crossing in the dead of night, as detailed by the American man who says he led the mission.

A Perilous Nocturnal Voyage

Bryan Stern, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, detailed the operation in a recent interview. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” stated Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing dark and choppy conditions that also provided 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,” Stern said.

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

The Step-by-Step Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an secret location to board a flight, in a mission orchestrated just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – 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 had a very arduous journey,” Stern added.

Describing her condition, he said, “She was very happy. She was very excited. She was very tired,” and noted about twenty-four people were directly involved within his organization.

Verification and Concealment

A representative for Machado verified that Stern’s company was behind the operation, which commenced earlier in the week. This account follows earlier stories that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her safe house in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

The veteran declined to share details about the land operation, referencing his company’s future work in the country.

Funding and American Role

He stated publicly the endeavor was financed by “a few generous donors” – with no US government figures involved. Official US funds were not used, to my knowledge,” Stern asserted.

He said, however, that his group did “unofficially collaborate” with the American armed forces regarding positioning and plans, largely to avoid being targeted by airstrikes.

Future Plans and Inspiration

Machado said she had American backing to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain 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. “She must decide that and for her to decide. But I think she should not go back. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.