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This audacious escape of political leader María Corina Machado entailed a long, “scary” and very wet boat journey in the pitch black of night, according to the American man who says he led the mission.

The Perilous Nighttime Voyage

Bryan Stern, who leads a nonprofit rescue organisation, detailed the operation in a newly published media appearance. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, recounting dark and choppy conditions 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 harder it is for radar to see,” Stern said.

He recalled 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 Step-by-Step Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a half-day journey to an secret location to catch a plane, in a mission planned just days before. “This was in the middle of the night – very little moon, a little bit of cloud cover, very hard to see, vessels running dark. All of us were pretty wet. My crew and I were drenched. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern noted.

Regarding her state, he commented, “She was very happy. She was very excited. She was exhausted,” and noted about twenty-four people were actively participating within his organization.

Verification and Disguise

A representative for Machado confirmed that Stern’s company was responsible for the extraction, which began on Tuesday. This report follows 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 specifics about the land operation, referencing his company’s future work in the region.

Financing and American Role

He stated publicly the endeavor was financed by “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 asserted.

He said, however, that his group did coordinate informally with the American armed forces regarding locations and strategy, primarily to prevent being mistakenly fired upon.

Next Steps and Inspiration

Machado said she had US support to leave Venezuela. She has declared her intention to return home, though the specifics remain uncertain how or when.

Stern said his group would play no part in that operation, as it worked only on extracting individuals from countries, not in. “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.