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The audacious escape of political leader María Corina Machado entailed a lengthy, “scary” and very wet boat journey in the dead of night, as detailed by the US veteran who says he led the operation.

The Dangerous Nighttime Voyage

Bryan Stern, who leads a nonprofit rescue organisation, outlined the mission in a recent media appearance. It was perilous. It was scary,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing rough and moonless seas that simultaneously offered convenient cover for the escape.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the bigger the swells, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” Stern said.

He described meeting Machado out at sea after she left Venezuela, where she had been in hiding since August 2024 due to fear of persecution by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Detailed Extraction

Machado embarked on his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an secret location to catch a plane, as part of planned just four days earlier. “This was in the middle of the night – very little moon, a little bit of cloud cover, extremely low visibility, boats have no lights. Everyone was quite damp. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern noted.

Regarding her state, 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 organization.

Verification and Disguise

Spokespeople for Machado confirmed that Stern’s company was behind the extraction, which began on Tuesday. This report comes after previous reporting 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, referencing his company’s future work in the country.

Funding and US Involvement

He told media the mission was financed by “a few generous donors” – none of whom were US government figures involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, 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 Admiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to return home, though it is not clear 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 in. “That’s for her to determine for herself. But I think she should not go back. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.