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This daring escape of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado entailed a long, “scary” and soaking boat journey in the dead of night, as detailed by the American man who says he led the mission.

A Perilous Nocturnal Voyage

The rescue organizer, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, detailed the mission in a recent interview. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” stated Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing rough and moonless seas that simultaneously offered ideal concealment 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 rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she left Venezuela, where she had been lying low since August 2024 due to fear of targeting by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Detailed Extraction

Machado embarked on his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an undisclosed location to board a flight, as part of orchestrated just four days earlier. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, some cloud coverage, extremely low visibility, 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 noted.

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

Confirmation and Disguise

A representative for Machado confirmed that Stern’s company was responsible for the operation, which commenced earlier in the week. This account comes after previous reporting that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her safe house in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

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

Funding and American Involvement

He stated publicly the mission was funded through “a few generous donors” – none of whom were US government figures involved. Official US funds were not used, at least not that I know of,” Stern asserted.

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

Future Plans and Admiration

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

Stern said his group would not be involved in that operation, as it worked only on getting people out of countries, not in. “That’s for her to determine and for her to decide. But I think she should not go back. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.