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The daring getaway of political leader María Corina Machado entailed a lengthy, “scary” and very wet sea crossing in the pitch black of night, as detailed by the American man who says he led the operation.

A Perilous Nighttime Voyage

The rescue organizer, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, outlined the operation in a newly published interview. “It was dangerous. It was terrifying,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing rough and moonless seas that simultaneously offered 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 harder it is for radar to see,” Stern said.

He described rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she left the country, where she had been lying low since August 2024 due to fear of persecution by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Step-by-Step Extraction

Machado embarked on his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an undisclosed location to catch a plane, 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, vessels running dark. Everyone was quite damp. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was also chilled and wet. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern added.

Describing her condition, he said, She was elated. She was thrilled. She was very tired,” and noted about two dozen people were directly involved within his team.

Confirmation and Disguise

Spokespeople for Machado confirmed that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the operation, which commenced earlier in the week. This report follows previous reporting that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to leave her hideout in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

The veteran declined to share details about the ground segment, referencing his organization's ongoing operations in the region.

Financing and US Role

He stated publicly the mission was funded through “several benefactors” – none of whom were US officials involved. Official US funds were not used, at least not that I know of,” Stern asserted.

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

Future Plans and Inspiration

The opposition leader stated she had American backing to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to return home, though it is not clear how or when.

Stern said his group would not be involved in a return mission, as it worked only on getting people out of countries, not in. “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.