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This audacious getaway of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, frightening and very wet sea crossing in the dead of night, as detailed by the US veteran who claims to have commanded the mission.

The Perilous Nighttime Voyage

Bryan Stern, who heads a rescue nonprofit, outlined the operation in a newly published interview. It was perilous. It was scary,” stated Stern, an ex-special forces operative, recounting 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 harder it is for radar to see,” he remarked.

He recalled meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from the country, where she had been lying low for over a year due to fear of targeting by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Step-by-Step Extraction

She boarded his boat for a half-day journey to an secret location to catch a plane, in a mission orchestrated just four days earlier. “This was in the middle of the night – very little moon, some cloud coverage, extremely low visibility, 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 noted.

Regarding her state, he commented, “She was very happy. She was very excited. She was very tired,” adding that about two dozen people were directly involved within his team.

Confirmation and Disguise

A representative for Machado confirmed that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the extraction, which commenced earlier in the week. This report comes after 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 specifics about the ground segment, referencing his company’s future work in the region.

Funding 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, to my knowledge,” Stern asserted.

He clarified, though, that his group did “unofficially collaborate” with the US military regarding positioning and plans, primarily to prevent being targeted by airstrikes.

Future Plans and Admiration

Machado said she had American backing to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain the method or timing.

Stern indicated his group would play no part 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. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.