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This audacious getaway of political leader María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, “scary” and soaking sea crossing in the pitch black of night, according to the US veteran who says he led the operation.

A Perilous Nocturnal Crossing

The rescue organizer, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, outlined the mission in a newly published media appearance. It was perilous. It was scary,” stated Stern, an ex-special forces operative, recounting dark and choppy conditions that simultaneously offered convenient cover for the escape.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the bigger the swells, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” he remarked.

He recalled meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from the country, where she had been lying low since August 2024 due to fear of targeting by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Step-by-Step Extraction

Machado embarked on his boat for a 13- to 14-hour journey to an secret location to catch a plane, as part of planned just days before. “This was in the middle of the night – minimal moonlight, 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 pretty cold and wet, too. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern noted.

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

Confirmation and Concealment

A representative for Machado confirmed that Stern’s foundation was behind the operation, which began on Tuesday. This account comes after previous reporting that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her hideout in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

The veteran declined to share specifics about the land operation, citing his organization's ongoing operations in the country.

Financing and American Role

He told media the endeavor was funded through “a few generous donors” – none of whom were US officials involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” Stern asserted.

He said, however, that his group did “unofficially collaborate” with the American armed forces regarding locations and strategy, largely to avoid being targeted by airstrikes.

Future Plans and Admiration

The opposition leader stated she had American backing to depart Venezuela. She has declared her intention 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 bringing them back. “That’s for her to determine for herself. Personally, I advise against returning. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.