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

The Dangerous Nocturnal Voyage

Bryan Stern, who leads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the mission in a recent interview. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing rough and moonless seas that simultaneously offered ideal concealment for the flight.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the higher the waves, the harder it is for radar to see,” Stern said.

He recalled rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she left Venezuela, where she had been in hiding since August 2024 fearing targeting by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Detailed Escape Plan

Machado embarked on his boat for a half-day journey to an undisclosed location to board a flight, in a mission orchestrated just four days earlier. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, a little bit of cloud cover, very hard to see, boats have no lights. 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 thrilled. She was very tired,” and noted about twenty-four people were actively participating within his team.

Verification and Concealment

A representative for Machado confirmed that Stern’s company was behind the operation, which commenced earlier in the week. This report comes after earlier stories that Machado used a wig and costume to flee her safe house in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

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

Funding and American Involvement

He told media the endeavor was financed by “a few generous donors” – with no US officials involved. Official US funds were not used, to my knowledge,” Stern asserted.

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

Future Plans and Admiration

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

Stern said his group would play no part in that operation, as it focuses exclusively on getting people out of countries, not in. “That’s for her to determine and for her to decide. But I think she should not go back. Yet she is determined. Maria is truly inspirational,” he said.