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The daring escape of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado involved a long, frightening and soaking sea crossing in the pitch black of night, as detailed by the American man who claims to have commanded the mission.

A Perilous Nocturnal Crossing

The rescue organizer, who leads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the operation in a newly published interview. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” said Stern, a US special forces veteran, recounting dark and choppy conditions 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 bigger the swells, the harder it is for radar to see,” Stern said.

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

The Step-by-Step Extraction

Machado embarked on his boat for a half-day trip to an secret location to catch a plane, in a mission orchestrated just four days earlier. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, some cloud coverage, extremely low visibility, vessels running dark. All of us were pretty wet. 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 very happy. She was very excited. She was very tired,” and noted about twenty-four people were directly involved within his organization.

Verification and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the operation, which commenced earlier in the week. This report follows earlier stories that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her hideout in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Stern did not divulge specifics about the ground segment, referencing his company’s future work in the region.

Financing and American Involvement

He stated publicly the endeavor was financed by “several benefactors” – none of whom were 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 coordinate informally with the American armed forces regarding locations and strategy, largely to avoid being targeted by airstrikes.

Next Steps and Inspiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to depart Venezuela. She has declared her intention to return home, though it is not clear the method or timing.

Stern indicated his group would play no part in that operation, as it worked only on getting people out of countries, not in. “That’s for her to determine for herself. But I think she should not go back. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.