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The audacious escape of political leader María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, frightening and soaking sea crossing in the pitch black of night, as detailed by the American man who claims to have commanded the mission.

A Dangerous Nighttime Voyage

The rescue organizer, who heads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the mission in a recent interview. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing dark and choppy conditions that simultaneously offered ideal concealment for the flight.

“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,” Stern said.

He described rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she left the country, where she had been in hiding since August 2024 fearing persecution by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Detailed Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a half-day journey to an secret location to catch a plane, as part of orchestrated 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. All of us were pretty wet. My crew and I were drenched. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern noted.

Regarding her state, he commented, She was elated. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” adding that about twenty-four people were directly involved within his organization.

Verification and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado confirmed that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the extraction, which commenced earlier in the week. This account follows 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 specifics about the land operation, referencing his company’s future work in the country.

Financing and American Role

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

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

Next Steps and Admiration

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 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. Personally, I advise against returning. Yet she is determined. Maria is truly inspirational,” he said.