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The daring escape of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, “scary” and soaking sea crossing in the pitch black of night, according to the American man who says he led the mission.

A Dangerous Nocturnal Crossing

Bryan Stern, who leads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the mission in a recent media appearance. It was perilous. It was scary,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, recounting dark and choppy conditions that also provided convenient cover 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 more difficult radar detection becomes,” he remarked.

He recalled rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she left the country, where she had been lying low since August 2024 fearing targeting by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Step-by-Step 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 days before. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, a little bit of cloud cover, extremely low visibility, vessels running dark. 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 added.

Regarding her state, he said, “She was very happy. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” adding that about two dozen people were actively participating within his organization.

Confirmation and Disguise

Spokespeople for Machado confirmed that Stern’s company was behind the operation, which commenced earlier in the week. This report follows previous reporting that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to leave her safe house in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

The veteran declined to share details about the ground segment, referencing his company’s future work in the region.

Financing and US Role

He stated publicly the mission was funded through “a few generous donors” – with no US government figures involved. Official US funds were not used, at least not that I know of,” Stern said.

He clarified, though, that his group did “unofficially collaborate” with the US military regarding locations and strategy, largely to avoid being mistakenly fired upon.

Next Steps and Admiration

The opposition leader stated she had American backing to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain how or when.

Stern said his group would not be involved in that operation, as it focuses exclusively on extracting individuals from countries, not bringing them back. “She must decide that and for her to decide. But I think she should not go back. Yet she is determined. Maria is truly inspirational,” he concluded.