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The audacious escape of political leader María Corina Machado entailed a long, frightening and soaking boat journey in the pitch black of night, according to the American man who claims to have commanded the mission.

A Dangerous Nighttime Voyage

The rescue organizer, who leads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the mission in a recent media appearance. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing rough and moonless seas that simultaneously offered ideal concealment for the escape.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the bigger the swells, the harder it is for radar to see,” Stern said.

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

The Step-by-Step Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a half-day journey to an undisclosed location to catch a plane, as part of planned just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – minimal moonlight, a little bit of cloud cover, 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.

Describing her condition, he said, She was elated. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” and noted about two dozen people were directly involved within his organization.

Confirmation and Disguise

Spokespeople for Machado confirmed that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the operation, which began on Tuesday. This account comes after previous reporting that Machado used a wig and costume to leave her safe house in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Stern did not divulge details about the land operation, citing his organization's ongoing operations in the region.

Financing and American Involvement

He stated publicly the mission was financed by “a few generous donors” – none of whom were US government figures involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” Stern asserted.

He said, however, that his group did coordinate informally with the US military regarding locations and strategy, primarily to prevent being mistakenly fired upon.

Future Plans and Inspiration

Machado said she had US support to depart Venezuela. She has declared her intention to return home, though the specifics remain uncertain the method or timing.

Stern said his group would not be involved in that operation, as it worked only on extracting individuals from countries, not bringing them back. “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 said.