How a American Special Forces Veteran Aided María Corina Machado Escape Her Homeland

This audacious escape of political leader María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, frightening and very wet boat journey in the dead of night, according to the American man who says he led the mission.

The Perilous Nighttime Voyage

Bryan Stern, who leads a nonprofit rescue organisation, detailed the mission in a newly published media appearance. It was perilous. It was scary,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, recounting dark and choppy conditions that simultaneously offered ideal concealment for the escape.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the higher the waves, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” he remarked.

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

The Detailed Extraction

Machado embarked on his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an undisclosed location to board a flight, as part of orchestrated just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, a little bit of cloud cover, very hard to see, 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.

Regarding her state, he said, “She was very happy. She was thrilled. She was very tired,” adding that about two dozen people were directly involved within his organization.

Confirmation and Concealment

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

Stern did not divulge details about the ground segment, referencing his organization's ongoing operations in the country.

Financing and US Involvement

He stated publicly the endeavor was funded through “a few generous donors” – with no US officials involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” Stern said.

He clarified, though, that his group did “unofficially collaborate” with the US military regarding positioning and plans, largely to avoid being mistakenly fired upon.

Next Steps and Admiration

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

Stern said his group would play no part in a return mission, 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.