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The audacious escape of political leader María Corina Machado entailed a lengthy, “scary” and soaking sea crossing in the pitch black of night, according to the US veteran who says he led the operation.

The Dangerous Nighttime Crossing

Bryan Stern, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, outlined the mission in a recent interview. It was perilous. It was scary,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing rough and moonless seas that also provided convenient cover for the flight.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the higher the waves, the harder it is for radar to see,” Stern said.

He recalled meeting Machado out at sea after she left the country, where she had been lying low for over a year due to fear of persecution by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Step-by-Step Escape Plan

Machado embarked on his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an secret location to board a flight, as part of planned just days before. “This was in the middle of the night – very little moon, a little bit of cloud cover, 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 endured a grueling passage,” Stern added.

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

Confirmation and Disguise

Spokespeople for Machado confirmed that Stern’s foundation was behind the operation, which began on Tuesday. This report follows earlier stories that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her hideout in a outskirts 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 mission was financed by “several benefactors” – none of whom were US officials involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, at least not that I know of,” Stern said.

He said, however, that his group did coordinate informally with the US military regarding positioning and plans, primarily to prevent being targeted by airstrikes.

Next Steps and Admiration

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

Stern said his group would play no part 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. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.