🔗 Share this article

The daring escape of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado involved a long, “scary” and soaking sea crossing in the pitch black of night, according to the US veteran who claims to have commanded the mission.

A Dangerous Nighttime Crossing

The rescue organizer, who leads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the operation in a newly published interview. “It was dangerous. It was terrifying,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, recounting dark and choppy conditions that also provided convenient cover for the flight.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the higher the waves, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” Stern said.

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

The Detailed Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a half-day journey to an secret location to board a flight, in a mission orchestrated just days before. 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 pretty cold and wet, too. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern noted.

Regarding her state, he said, She was elated. She was very excited. She was exhausted,” adding that about two dozen people were actively participating within his team.

Verification and Disguise

Spokespeople for Machado confirmed that Stern’s company was behind the operation, which commenced earlier in the week. This report follows earlier stories that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her safe house in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Stern did not divulge details about the ground segment, citing his company’s future work in the region.

Financing and US Involvement

He told media the endeavor was funded through “several benefactors” – with no US government figures involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, at least not that I know of,” Stern asserted.

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 Admiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to depart Venezuela. She has declared her intention to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain the method or timing.

Stern said his group would not be involved in a return mission, 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. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.