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This audacious getaway of political leader María Corina Machado entailed a long, “scary” and very wet boat journey in the dead of night, as detailed by the American man who says he led the mission.

A Dangerous Nighttime Voyage

The rescue organizer, who leads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the operation in a newly published media appearance. “It was dangerous. It was terrifying,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, recounting dark and choppy conditions that simultaneously offered ideal concealment for the escape.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the higher the waves, 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 due to fear of persecution by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Detailed Extraction

She boarded his boat for a half-day trip to an undisclosed location to board a flight, in a mission orchestrated just days before. “This was in the middle of the night – very little moon, a little bit of cloud cover, 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 added.

Regarding her state, he commented, She was elated. She was thrilled. She was very tired,” adding that about twenty-four people were directly involved within his organization.

Confirmation and Disguise

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s company was behind the extraction, which began on Tuesday. This account comes after previous reporting 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 specifics about the land operation, citing his organization's ongoing operations in the country.

Funding and American Role

He told media the endeavor was funded through “a few generous donors” – none of whom were US officials involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, 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, primarily to prevent being targeted by airstrikes.

Next Steps and Admiration

Machado said she had American backing to leave Venezuela. She has announced plans to go back, though it is not clear how or when.

Stern indicated his group would not be involved in that operation, as it focuses exclusively on getting people out of 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.