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The daring escape of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado involved a long, “scary” and soaking boat journey in the dead of night, as detailed by the US veteran who claims to have commanded the operation.

A Perilous Nighttime Voyage

Bryan Stern, who heads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the mission in a recent media appearance. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, recounting dark and choppy conditions that also provided ideal concealment for the flight.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the bigger the swells, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” he remarked.

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

A Detailed Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a half-day trip to an undisclosed location to catch a plane, in a mission orchestrated just four days earlier. “This was in the middle of the night – minimal moonlight, 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 also chilled and wet. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern added.

Regarding her state, he commented, She was elated. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” and noted about twenty-four people were actively participating within his team.

Verification and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado confirmed that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the operation, which began on Tuesday. This report comes after previous reporting that Machado used a wig and costume to leave her safe house in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

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

Funding and US Involvement

He stated publicly the endeavor was funded through “a few generous donors” – 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 coordinate informally with the US military regarding locations and strategy, largely to avoid being targeted by airstrikes.

Next Steps and Inspiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to leave Venezuela. She has announced plans to return home, though the specifics remain uncertain how or when.

Stern said his group would not be involved in that operation, as it focuses exclusively on getting people out of countries, not in. “That’s for her to determine for herself. Personally, I advise against returning. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.