🔗 Share this article

The daring getaway of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado involved a long, “scary” and very wet boat journey in the pitch black of night, as detailed by the American man who claims to have commanded the operation.

A Dangerous Nighttime Crossing

Bryan Stern, who heads a rescue nonprofit, outlined the operation in a newly published interview. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing rough and moonless seas that also provided 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,” Stern said.

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

A Detailed Extraction

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour journey to an secret location to catch a plane, as part of planned just four days earlier. “This was in the middle of the night – minimal moonlight, a little bit of cloud cover, very hard to see, boats have no lights. All of us were pretty wet. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern noted.

Describing her condition, he commented, “She was very happy. She was thrilled. She was very tired,” adding that about twenty-four people were directly involved within his team.

Verification and Disguise

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the extraction, which commenced earlier in the week. This account follows earlier stories that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to leave her safe house in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Stern did not divulge specifics about the land operation, referencing his organization's ongoing operations in the country.

Financing and US Involvement

He stated publicly the mission was financed by “several benefactors” – with no US officials involved. Official US funds were not used, at least not that I know of,” Stern asserted.

He clarified, though, that his group did “unofficially collaborate” with the American armed forces regarding locations and strategy, largely to avoid being mistakenly fired upon.

Future Plans 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 how or when.

Stern indicated his group would play no part in that operation, as it worked only on getting people out of countries, not in. “That’s for her to determine and for her to decide. But I think she should not go back. Yet she is determined. Maria is truly inspirational,” he said.