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This audacious getaway of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado entailed a long, frightening and soaking sea crossing in the dead of night, as detailed by the American man who claims to have commanded the mission.

A Dangerous Nocturnal Crossing

The rescue organizer, who leads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the operation in a recent interview. It was perilous. It was scary,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing dark and choppy conditions that also provided ideal concealment for the flight.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the bigger the swells, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” he remarked.

He described rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she left the country, where she had been in hiding for over a year due to fear of targeting by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Detailed Extraction

Machado embarked on his boat for a 13- to 14-hour journey to an secret location to catch a plane, in a mission planned just four days earlier. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, some cloud coverage, very hard to see, boats have no lights. All of us were pretty wet. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was also chilled and wet. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern noted.

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

Confirmation and Disguise

A representative for Machado confirmed that Stern’s foundation was behind the operation, which commenced earlier in the week. This account follows earlier stories that Machado used a wig and costume to leave her safe house in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

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

Financing and US Involvement

He stated publicly the mission was funded through “a few generous donors” – with no US officials 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 “unofficially collaborate” with the American armed forces regarding locations and strategy, primarily to prevent being targeted by airstrikes.

Next Steps and Admiration

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

Stern said his group would not be involved in a return mission, as it worked only on getting people out of countries, not in. “She must decide that for herself. Personally, I advise against returning. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.