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The audacious getaway 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 claims to have commanded the mission.

The Perilous Nocturnal Crossing

Bryan Stern, who leads a nonprofit rescue organisation, outlined the operation in a newly published interview. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing rough and moonless seas that also provided convenient cover for the escape.

“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,” Stern said.

He described rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she left 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 Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour journey to an undisclosed location to board a flight, in a mission orchestrated just four days earlier. The operation occurred at midnight – minimal moonlight, a little bit of cloud cover, very hard to see, vessels running dark. 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.

Describing her condition, he commented, “She was very happy. She was very excited. She was exhausted,” adding that about two dozen people were directly involved within his team.

Confirmation and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s company was behind the operation, which began on Tuesday. This report comes after earlier stories that Machado used a wig and costume to flee her hideout in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

The veteran declined to share specifics about the land operation, referencing his company’s future work in the country.

Financing and American Role

He stated publicly the endeavor was funded through “several benefactors” – none of whom were US government figures involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” 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.

Future Plans and Admiration

Machado said she had US support to leave Venezuela. She has announced plans to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain the method or timing.

Stern indicated his group would not be involved in that operation, as it focuses exclusively on extracting individuals from countries, not bringing them back. “That’s for her to determine and for her to decide. But I think she should not go back. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.