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The audacious escape of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado entailed a lengthy, “scary” and very wet sea crossing in the dead of night, according to the American man who says he led the operation.

The Dangerous Nocturnal Voyage

Bryan Stern, who heads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the mission in a recent media appearance. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing 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 more difficult radar detection becomes,” he remarked.

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

The Detailed Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour journey to an secret location to board a flight, in a mission orchestrated just four days earlier. The operation occurred at midnight – minimal moonlight, 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 also chilled and wet. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern noted.

Regarding her state, he said, “She was very happy. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” and noted about two dozen people were directly involved within his organization.

Confirmation and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado confirmed that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the extraction, which commenced earlier in the week. This report follows earlier stories that Machado used a wig and costume to flee her safe house in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Stern did not divulge specifics about the ground segment, referencing his organization's ongoing operations in the region.

Funding and US Involvement

He stated publicly the endeavor was funded through “a few generous donors” – with no US officials involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, 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, largely to avoid being mistakenly fired upon.

Future Plans and Inspiration

The opposition leader stated she had American backing to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to go back, though it is not clear the method or timing.

Stern said his group would not be involved in a return mission, as it focuses exclusively on getting people out of countries, not in. “She must decide that and for her to decide. Personally, I advise against returning. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.