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The daring escape of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado entailed a long, “scary” and soaking sea crossing in the dead of night, as detailed by the American man who claims to have commanded the operation.

A Perilous Nocturnal Crossing

Bryan Stern, who heads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the operation in a newly published interview. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing rough and moonless seas that also provided convenient cover 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,” he remarked.

He recalled rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she departed from Venezuela, where she had been lying low for over a year fearing targeting by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Step-by-Step Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a half-day journey to an secret location to catch a plane, as part of planned just four days earlier. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, some cloud coverage, extremely low visibility, boats have no lights. Everyone was quite damp. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern added.

Describing her condition, he commented, She was elated. She was very excited. She was very tired,” and noted about twenty-four people were actively participating within his team.

Verification and Concealment

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

The veteran declined to share details about the land operation, referencing his organization's ongoing operations in the region.

Financing and American Role

He told media the mission was financed by “a few generous donors” – with no US government figures involved. Official US funds were not used, at least not that I know of,” Stern asserted.

He clarified, though, that his group did coordinate informally with the American armed forces regarding locations and strategy, primarily to prevent being mistakenly fired upon.

Next Steps and Inspiration

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

Stern said his group would play no part in that operation, as it focuses exclusively on getting people out of countries, not in. “She must decide that for herself. Personally, I advise against returning. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.