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The daring escape of political leader María Corina Machado entailed a long, “scary” and very wet sea crossing in the pitch black of night, as detailed by the US veteran who claims to have commanded the mission.

A Dangerous Nighttime Crossing

The rescue organizer, who leads a nonprofit rescue organisation, detailed the mission in a newly published media appearance. It was perilous. It was scary,” said Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing rough and moonless seas that also provided ideal concealment for the escape.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the bigger the swells, the harder it is for radar to see,” Stern said.

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

A Detailed Escape Plan

Machado embarked on his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an undisclosed location to catch a plane, in a mission planned just four days earlier. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, a little bit of cloud cover, extremely low visibility, boats have no lights. All of us were pretty wet. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern added.

Describing her condition, he said, “She was very happy. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” adding that 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 operation, 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.

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

Financing and American Involvement

He stated publicly the mission was financed by “a few generous donors” – 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 American armed forces regarding locations and strategy, primarily to prevent being targeted by airstrikes.

Future Plans and Inspiration

Machado said she had American backing to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to return home, though it is not clear how or when.

Stern indicated 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 and for her to decide. Personally, I advise against returning. But she wants to. Maria is truly inspirational,” he said.