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The daring getaway of political leader María Corina Machado involved a long, frightening and very wet sea crossing in the dead of night, according to the US veteran who says he led the operation.

The Perilous Nighttime Voyage

Bryan Stern, who heads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the operation in a newly published media appearance. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, recounting 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 recalled meeting Machado out at sea after she left the country, where she had been in hiding for over a year due to fear of targeting by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Step-by-Step Extraction

She boarded his boat for a half-day journey to an undisclosed location to board a flight, in a mission planned just four days earlier. The operation occurred at midnight – minimal moonlight, 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 noted.

Regarding her state, he said, She was elated. She was thrilled. She was very tired,” and noted about two dozen people were actively participating within his organization.

Verification and Disguise

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

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

Financing and American Role

He stated publicly the mission was financed by “several benefactors” – with no US government figures 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, largely to avoid being mistakenly fired upon.

Next Steps and Inspiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to depart Venezuela. She has declared her intention to return home, though it is not clear how or when.

Stern indicated his group would not be involved in a return mission, as it focuses exclusively on extracting individuals from countries, not in. “She must decide that for herself. But I think she should not go back. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.