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The daring escape of political leader María Corina Machado entailed a lengthy, “scary” and soaking sea crossing in the pitch black of night, as detailed by the American man who claims to have commanded the operation.

A Perilous Nighttime Crossing

The rescue organizer, who leads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the operation in a newly published interview. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” said Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing dark and choppy conditions that simultaneously offered convenient cover for the escape.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the higher the waves, the harder it is for radar to see,” Stern said.

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

A Detailed Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an secret location to board a flight, in a mission orchestrated 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. 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 elated. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” and noted about twenty-four people were directly involved within his team.

Confirmation and Concealment

A representative for Machado confirmed that Stern’s company was responsible for the operation, which began on Tuesday. This account 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 Role

He stated publicly the mission 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 clarified, though, that his group did coordinate informally with the US military regarding positioning and plans, largely to avoid being targeted by airstrikes.

Future Plans and Admiration

Machado said she had US support to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain the method or timing.

Stern said his group would not be involved in a return mission, as it worked only on getting people out of countries, not in. “That’s for her to determine and for her to decide. Personally, I advise against returning. Yet she is determined. Maria is truly inspirational,” he concluded.