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The audacious escape of political leader María Corina Machado entailed a lengthy, frightening and soaking boat journey in the pitch black of night, according to the American man who claims to have commanded the mission.

The Perilous Nocturnal Crossing

The rescue organizer, who leads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the mission in a newly published interview. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” said Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing dark and choppy conditions that simultaneously offered convenient cover for the escape.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the higher the waves, the harder it is for radar to see,” he remarked.

He recalled rendezvousing with Machado offshore 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 Extraction

She boarded his boat for a half-day journey to an undisclosed location to board a flight, as part of planned just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – 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 noted.

Regarding her state, he said, She was elated. She was very excited. She was very tired,” and noted about twenty-four people were actively participating within his organization.

Verification and Concealment

A representative for Machado confirmed that Stern’s company was responsible for 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.

The veteran declined to share specifics about the land operation, citing his organization's ongoing operations in the country.

Funding and US Involvement

He stated publicly the mission was funded through “a few generous donors” – with no US government figures involved. Official US funds were not used, to my knowledge,” Stern asserted.

He clarified, though, that his group did “unofficially collaborate” with the US military regarding locations and strategy, primarily to prevent being mistakenly fired upon.

Future Plans and Inspiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to leave Venezuela. She has declared her intention to go back, though it is not clear how or when.

Stern said his group would not be involved in that operation, as it worked only on getting people out of countries, not in. “She must decide that for herself. Personally, I advise against returning. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.