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The daring getaway of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado entailed a lengthy, frightening and very wet sea crossing in the pitch black of night, according to the American man who says he led the operation.

A Perilous Nighttime Crossing

Bryan Stern, who leads a rescue nonprofit, outlined the operation in a newly published media appearance. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, recounting rough and moonless seas that simultaneously offered ideal concealment for the escape.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the higher the waves, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” he remarked.

He described meeting Machado out at sea after she left Venezuela, where she had been lying low since August 2024 due to fear of targeting by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Step-by-Step Extraction

Machado embarked on his boat for a 13- to 14-hour journey to an secret location to catch a plane, in a mission orchestrated just four days earlier. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, some cloud coverage, very hard to see, vessels running dark. All of us were pretty wet. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern added.

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

Verification and Concealment

A representative for Machado verified that Stern’s company was behind the extraction, which began on Tuesday. This account comes after previous reporting that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her hideout in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

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

Financing and American Role

He told media the endeavor was funded through “a few generous donors” – none of whom were US government figures involved. Official US funds were not used, at least not that I know of,” Stern said.

He clarified, though, that his group did coordinate informally with the American armed forces regarding locations and strategy, primarily to prevent being targeted by airstrikes.

Next Steps and Inspiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to leave Venezuela. She has announced plans to return home, though it is not clear the method or timing.

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. “That’s for her to determine for herself. But I think she should not go back. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.