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This daring getaway of political leader María Corina Machado entailed a lengthy, “scary” and soaking sea crossing in the dead of night, as detailed by the American man who says he led the operation.

A Perilous Nocturnal Voyage

The rescue organizer, who leads a nonprofit rescue organisation, detailed the operation in a newly published interview. It was perilous. It was scary,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing dark and choppy conditions that also provided ideal concealment for the escape.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the higher the waves, the harder it is for radar to see,” he remarked.

He recalled meeting Machado out at sea after she left Venezuela, where she had been in hiding since August 2024 fearing targeting by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Detailed Extraction

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an secret location to board a flight, in a mission orchestrated just four days earlier. The operation occurred at midnight – minimal moonlight, some cloud coverage, extremely low visibility, vessels running dark. 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 noted.

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

Confirmation and Disguise

A representative for Machado confirmed that Stern’s company was behind the operation, which began on Tuesday. This account follows earlier stories that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her hideout in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

The veteran declined to share specifics about the ground segment, citing his company’s future work in the country.

Financing and American Role

He stated publicly the endeavor was funded through “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 clarified, though, that his group did coordinate informally with the US military regarding locations and strategy, largely to avoid 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 the method or timing.

Stern said his group would not be involved in that operation, as it focuses exclusively on getting people out of countries, not in. “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.