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The audacious escape of political leader María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, “scary” and very wet sea crossing in the dead of night, according to the American man who says he led the operation.

The Perilous Nighttime Voyage

The rescue organizer, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, outlined the operation in a newly published interview. It was perilous. It was scary,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, recounting dark and choppy conditions 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 higher the waves, 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 lying low since August 2024 due to fear of persecution by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Step-by-Step Escape Plan

Machado embarked on his boat for a 13- to 14-hour journey to an secret location to board a flight, as part of orchestrated just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – minimal moonlight, a little bit of cloud cover, extremely low visibility, boats have no lights. All of us were pretty wet. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was also chilled and wet. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern noted.

Describing her condition, he said, “She was very happy. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” and noted about twenty-four people were actively participating within his team.

Verification and Disguise

Spokespeople 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 hideout in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Stern did not divulge specifics about the ground segment, citing his company’s future work in the region.

Financing and US Involvement

He stated publicly the endeavor 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 said, however, that his group did “unofficially collaborate” with the US military regarding locations and strategy, primarily to prevent being mistakenly fired upon.

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 how or when.

Stern indicated his group would play no part in a return mission, as it focuses exclusively on extracting individuals from countries, not in. “That’s for her to determine and for her to decide. Personally, I advise against returning. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.