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

A Dangerous Nocturnal Voyage

The rescue organizer, who leads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the mission in a newly published media appearance. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing dark and choppy conditions that also provided convenient cover for the flight.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the bigger the swells, the harder it is for radar to see,” he remarked.

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

A Step-by-Step Escape Plan

Machado embarked on his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an secret location to board a flight, as part of planned just four days earlier. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, some cloud coverage, extremely low visibility, boats have no lights. Everyone was quite damp. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was also chilled and wet. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern added.

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

Confirmation and Disguise

A representative for Machado verified that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the extraction, which commenced earlier in the week. This report comes after earlier stories that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her hideout 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.

Funding and US Role

He told media the mission was funded through “a few generous donors” – with no US government figures involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, at least not that I know of,” Stern said.

He said, however, that his group did coordinate informally with the US military regarding positioning and plans, primarily to prevent being targeted by airstrikes.

Future Plans and Admiration

Machado said she had US support to leave Venezuela. She has announced plans to return home, though it is not clear how or when.

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. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.