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This daring escape of political leader María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, “scary” and soaking boat journey in the dead of night, as detailed by the American man who claims to have commanded the mission.

A Perilous Nocturnal Crossing

The rescue organizer, who leads a rescue nonprofit, outlined the operation in a recent interview. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” stated Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing dark and choppy conditions that also provided convenient cover 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 more difficult radar detection becomes,” Stern said.

He described meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from the country, where she had been in hiding for over a year due to fear of persecution by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Detailed Extraction

Machado embarked on his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an undisclosed location to catch a plane, as part of planned just four days earlier. “This was in the middle of the night – very little moon, some cloud coverage, extremely low visibility, boats have no lights. All of us were pretty wet. My crew and I were drenched. She was also chilled and wet. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern noted.

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

Verification and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s foundation was behind the extraction, 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 specifics about the land operation, referencing his organization's ongoing operations in the region.

Funding and US Role

He stated publicly the endeavor was funded through “a few generous donors” – with no US government figures involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, at least not that I know of,” Stern said.

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

Future Plans and Inspiration

Machado said she had US support to leave Venezuela. She has announced plans to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain the method or timing.

Stern said his group would not be involved in that operation, as it focuses exclusively on extracting individuals from countries, not bringing them back. “That’s for her to determine for herself. But I think she should not go back. But she wants to. Maria is truly inspirational,” he said.