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The audacious getaway of political leader María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, “scary” and very wet boat journey in the pitch black of night, according to the American man who says he led the mission.

A Dangerous Nighttime Crossing

The rescue organizer, who leads a nonprofit rescue organisation, outlined the operation in a recent interview. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing dark and choppy conditions that simultaneously offered convenient cover for the escape.

“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 described meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from Venezuela, where she had been lying low for over a year due to fear of persecution by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Step-by-Step Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an secret location to board a flight, in a mission orchestrated just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, a little bit of cloud cover, very hard to see, vessels running dark. Everyone was quite damp. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern added.

Describing her condition, he commented, “She was very happy. She was thrilled. She was very tired,” adding that about twenty-four people were directly involved within his team.

Confirmation and Concealment

A representative for Machado verified that Stern’s company was behind the extraction, which commenced earlier in the week. This account comes after previous reporting 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 specifics about the ground segment, referencing his organization's ongoing operations in the region.

Funding and US Involvement

He told media the mission 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 said.

He clarified, though, that his group did “unofficially collaborate” with the US military regarding positioning and plans, primarily to prevent being mistakenly fired upon.

Next Steps and Inspiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to leave Venezuela. She has announced plans to go back, though it is not clear the method or timing.

Stern indicated his group would play no part in a return mission, as it focuses exclusively on extracting individuals from countries, not bringing them back. “That’s for her to determine for herself. Personally, I advise against returning. But she wants to. Maria is truly inspirational,” he concluded.