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The audacious getaway of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado entailed a long, frightening and very wet boat journey in the pitch black of night, according to the American man who says he led the mission.

A Dangerous Nocturnal Crossing

The rescue organizer, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, outlined the mission in a recent media appearance. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” said Stern, a US special forces veteran, recounting dark and choppy conditions that also provided convenient cover for the escape.

“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 recalled meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from Venezuela, where she had been lying low since August 2024 fearing targeting by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Step-by-Step Escape Plan

Machado embarked on his boat for a half-day trip to an secret location to catch a plane, in a mission orchestrated just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – minimal moonlight, a little bit of cloud cover, very hard to see, boats have no lights. Everyone was quite damp. My crew and I were drenched. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern noted.

Describing her condition, he commented, She was elated. She was very excited. She was exhausted,” adding that about twenty-four people were actively participating within his team.

Verification and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s company was behind the operation, which began on Tuesday. This account follows earlier stories that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to leave her safe house in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Stern did not divulge details about the ground segment, citing his organization's ongoing operations in the country.

Financing and American Involvement

He told media the endeavor was funded through “several benefactors” – with no 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 US military regarding positioning and plans, primarily to prevent being mistakenly fired upon.

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 how or when.

Stern indicated his group would not be involved in that operation, 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. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.