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This audacious escape of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado involved a long, frightening and soaking sea crossing in the pitch black of night, according to the US veteran who claims to have commanded the mission.

A Perilous Nocturnal Voyage

The rescue organizer, who leads a nonprofit rescue organisation, detailed the mission in a recent interview. It was perilous. It was scary,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, recounting 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 more difficult radar detection becomes,” he remarked.

He recalled meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from the country, where she had been in hiding for over a year fearing persecution by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Step-by-Step Escape Plan

Machado embarked on his boat for a half-day trip to an secret location to board a flight, in a mission planned just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, some cloud coverage, very hard to see, vessels running dark. 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 commented, She was elated. She was very excited. She was very tired,” and noted about two dozen people were directly involved within his team.

Verification and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado confirmed that Stern’s foundation was behind the extraction, which commenced earlier in the week. This account comes after earlier stories that Machado used a wig and costume to flee her safe house in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

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

Funding and US Involvement

He told media the mission was funded through “several benefactors” – with no US officials involved. Official US funds were not used, to my knowledge,” Stern said.

He clarified, though, that his group did coordinate informally with the US military regarding locations and strategy, largely to avoid being targeted by airstrikes.

Next Steps and Admiration

Machado said she had American backing to depart Venezuela. She has declared her intention to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain the method or timing.

Stern indicated his group would not be involved in a return mission, as it worked only on extracting individuals from countries, not in. “That’s for her to determine for herself. But I think she should not go back. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.