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This audacious escape of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado entailed a long, “scary” and very wet sea crossing in the pitch black of night, according to the US veteran who claims to have commanded the operation.

The Perilous Nighttime Voyage

The rescue organizer, who heads a rescue nonprofit, outlined the mission in a newly published media appearance. It was perilous. It was scary,” stated 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 more difficult radar detection becomes,” he remarked.

He recalled rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she left the country, where she had been in hiding since August 2024 due to fear of targeting by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Step-by-Step Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour journey to an secret location to catch a plane, as part of orchestrated just four days earlier. “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. All of us were pretty wet. My crew and I were drenched. She was also chilled and wet. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern noted.

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

Confirmation and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado confirmed that Stern’s company was responsible for the extraction, which commenced earlier in the week. This account comes after earlier stories that Machado used a wig and costume 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 region.

Financing and US Involvement

He stated publicly the mission was financed by “a few generous donors” – none of whom were US officials involved. Official US funds were not used, at least not that I know of,” Stern asserted.

He clarified, though, that his group did coordinate informally with the American armed forces regarding positioning and plans, largely to avoid being mistakenly fired upon.

Next Steps and Inspiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain the method or timing.

Stern indicated his group would play no part in that operation, as it focuses exclusively on getting people out of countries, not in. “She must decide that and for her to decide. Personally, I advise against returning. Yet she is determined. Maria is truly inspirational,” he said.