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The daring escape of political leader María Corina Machado involved a long, “scary” and soaking sea crossing in the dead of night, according to the US veteran who says he led the operation.

The Dangerous Nocturnal Crossing

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

“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 recalled meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from Venezuela, where she had been lying low for over a year due to fear of targeting by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Step-by-Step Extraction

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour journey to an secret location to board a flight, as part of planned just four days earlier. “This was in the middle of the night – very little moon, some cloud coverage, extremely low visibility, 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 said, “She was very happy. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” and noted about twenty-four people were actively participating within his team.

Confirmation and Disguise

Spokespeople for Machado confirmed that Stern’s company was responsible for the extraction, which commenced earlier in the week. This report follows 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, referencing his organization's ongoing operations in the country.

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, to my knowledge,” Stern said.

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

Future Plans and Admiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to leave Venezuela. She has announced plans to return home, though it is not clear how or when.

Stern said his group would not be involved in a return mission, as it focuses exclusively on getting people out of countries, not in. “She must decide that for herself. But I think she should not go back. But she wants to. Maria is truly inspirational,” he said.