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The audacious escape of political leader María Corina Machado involved a long, “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 Dangerous Nighttime Crossing

The rescue organizer, who leads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the operation in a recent interview. It was perilous. It was scary,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, recounting dark and choppy conditions that simultaneously offered convenient cover for the flight.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the bigger the swells, the harder it is for radar to see,” Stern said.

He described rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she departed from the country, where she had been in hiding since August 2024 fearing persecution by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Step-by-Step Extraction

Machado embarked on his boat for a 13- to 14-hour journey to an undisclosed location to catch a plane, in a mission orchestrated just days before. “This was in the middle of the night – very little moon, a little bit of cloud cover, very hard to see, boats have no lights. Everyone was quite damp. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was also chilled and wet. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern added.

Describing her condition, he commented, “She was very happy. She was thrilled. She was very tired,” and noted about twenty-four people were directly involved within his team.

Confirmation and Concealment

A representative for Machado confirmed that Stern’s foundation was behind the operation, which began on Tuesday. This report follows earlier stories that Machado used a wig and costume to flee her safe house in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Stern did not divulge specifics about the land operation, referencing his organization's ongoing operations in the region.

Funding and American Role

He stated publicly the endeavor was financed by “several benefactors” – with no 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 “unofficially collaborate” with the American armed forces regarding positioning and plans, primarily to prevent being targeted by airstrikes.

Next Steps and Admiration

Machado said she had US support to leave Venezuela. She has declared her intention to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain the method or timing.

Stern indicated 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. Personally, I advise against returning. But she wants to. Maria is truly inspirational,” he said.