How a US Special Forces Veteran Aided the Venezuelan Opposition Leader Escape Her Homeland

The daring getaway of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado entailed a lengthy, frightening and very wet sea crossing in the pitch black of night, according to the US veteran who claims to have commanded the mission.

The Dangerous Nocturnal Crossing

Bryan Stern, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, detailed the mission in a newly published media appearance. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, recounting dark and choppy conditions that also provided ideal concealment for the flight.

“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,” he remarked.

He described meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from 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 journey to an undisclosed location to board a flight, as part of planned just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, some cloud coverage, extremely low visibility, vessels running dark. All of us were pretty wet. My crew and I were drenched. She was also chilled and wet. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern noted.

Describing her condition, he commented, “She was very happy. She was very excited. She was exhausted,” and noted about two dozen people were actively participating within his team.

Confirmation and Disguise

A representative for Machado confirmed that Stern’s foundation was behind the operation, which began on Tuesday. This report follows previous reporting that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to leave her safe house in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Stern did not divulge details about the ground segment, referencing his company’s future work in the region.

Financing and American Role

He told media the mission was financed by “a few generous donors” – with no US officials involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” Stern asserted.

He clarified, though, that his group did “unofficially collaborate” with the US military regarding locations and strategy, 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 return home, though it is not clear the method or timing.

Stern said his group would play no part in that operation, as it worked only on getting people out of countries, not bringing them back. “She must decide that and for her to decide. Personally, I advise against returning. But she wants to. Maria is truly inspirational,” he concluded.