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The daring getaway of political leader María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, frightening 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 Nocturnal Voyage

The rescue organizer, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, outlined the mission in a newly published interview. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” said Stern, a US special forces veteran, recounting 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 more difficult radar detection becomes,” Stern said.

He recalled rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she left Venezuela, where she had been lying low since August 2024 due to fear of targeting by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Step-by-Step Extraction

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour journey to an undisclosed location to catch a plane, in a mission orchestrated just days before. “This was in the middle of the night – very little moon, a little bit of cloud cover, extremely low visibility, vessels running dark. All of us were pretty wet. My crew and I were drenched. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern noted.

Describing her condition, he commented, She was elated. She was very excited. She was exhausted,” adding that about twenty-four people were directly involved within his organization.

Verification and Disguise

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s foundation was behind the extraction, which began on Tuesday. This account comes after earlier stories that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her hideout in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

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

Financing and American Involvement

He stated publicly the mission was financed by “a few generous donors” – none of whom were US government figures involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, at least not that I know of,” Stern said.

He said, however, that his group did coordinate informally with the US military regarding locations and strategy, primarily to prevent being targeted by airstrikes.

Next Steps and Inspiration

Machado said she had US support to depart 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 that operation, as it focuses exclusively on extracting individuals from countries, not in. “That’s for her to determine and for her to decide. But I think she should not go back. But she wants to. Maria is truly inspirational,” he said.