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The daring escape of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado entailed a long, “scary” and very wet sea crossing in the dead of night, as detailed by the American man who claims to have commanded the operation.

The Dangerous Nighttime Voyage

The rescue organizer, who heads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the operation in a newly published media appearance. “It was dangerous. It was terrifying,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, recounting dark and choppy conditions that simultaneously offered ideal concealment for the flight.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the bigger the swells, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” he remarked.

He described meeting Machado out at sea after she left the country, where she had been in hiding since August 2024 fearing persecution by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Detailed Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an undisclosed 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, very hard to see, vessels running dark. All of us were pretty wet. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern added.

Regarding her state, he commented, “She was very happy. She was very excited. She was exhausted,” and noted about twenty-four people were actively participating within his organization.

Confirmation and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado confirmed that Stern’s company was behind the extraction, which began on Tuesday. This account follows earlier stories that Machado used a wig and costume to leave her hideout in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

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

Financing and American Role

He stated publicly the mission was funded through “a few generous donors” – with no US government figures involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, at least not that I know of,” Stern said.

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

Future Plans and Inspiration

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

Stern indicated his group would not be involved in a return mission, as it worked only on extracting individuals from countries, not bringing them back. “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.