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This audacious escape of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, “scary” and soaking boat journey in the pitch black of night, according to the American man who says he led the operation.

A Dangerous Nocturnal Voyage

Bryan Stern, who leads a rescue nonprofit, outlined the operation in a newly published media appearance. “It was dangerous. It was terrifying,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing rough and moonless seas that also provided convenient cover for the escape.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, 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 recalled rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she left the country, where she had been lying low for over a year fearing targeting by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Step-by-Step Extraction

Machado embarked on his boat for a half-day trip to an secret location to catch a plane, as part of orchestrated just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, a little bit of cloud cover, extremely low visibility, vessels running dark. Everyone was quite damp. My crew and I were drenched. She was also chilled and wet. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern added.

Describing her condition, he commented, “She was very happy. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” and noted about two dozen people were actively participating within his team.

Verification and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s company was responsible for the operation, which commenced earlier in the week. This account comes after previous reporting 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 ground segment, citing his organization's ongoing operations in the country.

Financing and American Role

He stated publicly the mission was funded through “a few generous donors” – with no 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 US military regarding positioning and plans, largely to avoid being mistakenly fired upon.

Next Steps and Admiration

Machado said she had American backing to leave Venezuela. She has announced plans to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain how or when.

Stern said his group would play no part in a return mission, as it worked only on getting people out of countries, not bringing them back. “She must decide that for herself. But I think she should not go back. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.