🔗 Share this article

This daring escape of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado entailed a lengthy, frightening and very wet boat journey in the dead of night, according to the American man who says he led the operation.

The Dangerous Nighttime Voyage

The rescue organizer, who leads a nonprofit rescue organisation, detailed the mission in a recent interview. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing dark and choppy conditions that simultaneously offered ideal concealment for the flight.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the bigger the swells, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” he remarked.

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

A 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 four days earlier. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, a little bit of cloud cover, very hard to see, boats have no lights. All of us were pretty wet. My crew and I were drenched. She was also chilled and wet. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern noted.

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

Verification and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado confirmed that Stern’s company was responsible for the operation, which began on Tuesday. This account follows previous reporting that Machado used a wig and costume to leave her safe house in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

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

Financing and American Role

He stated publicly the mission was financed by “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 said.

He clarified, though, that his group did “unofficially collaborate” with the American armed forces regarding locations and strategy, primarily to prevent being targeted by airstrikes.

Future Plans and Admiration

The opposition leader stated she had American backing to depart Venezuela. She has declared her intention to return home, though it is not clear the method or timing.

Stern said his group would play no part in a return mission, as it worked only on extracting individuals from countries, not bringing them back. “She must decide that and for her to decide. Personally, I advise against returning. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.