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This daring getaway of political leader María Corina Machado entailed a long, frightening and very wet boat journey in the dead of night, according to the American man who says he led the mission.

A Perilous Nighttime Voyage

Bryan Stern, who heads a rescue nonprofit, outlined the mission in a newly published interview. “It was dangerous. It was terrifying,” stated Stern, an ex-special forces operative, recounting dark and choppy conditions that also provided ideal concealment 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,” he remarked.

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

The Step-by-Step Extraction

Machado embarked on his boat for a 13- to 14-hour journey to an undisclosed location to board a flight, as part of orchestrated just four days earlier. “This was in the middle of the night – very little moon, some cloud coverage, very hard to see, vessels running dark. All of us were pretty wet. My crew and I were drenched. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern noted.

Regarding her state, he said, “She was very happy. She was very excited. She was exhausted,” adding that about twenty-four people were actively participating within his organization.

Verification and Disguise

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

Stern did not divulge specifics about the land operation, referencing his organization's ongoing operations in the region.

Financing and American Role

He stated publicly the mission 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 coordinate informally with the American armed forces regarding positioning and plans, largely to avoid being mistakenly fired upon.

Future Plans and Admiration

Machado said she had American backing to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to return home, though it is not clear how or when.

Stern indicated his group would play no part in a return mission, as it worked only on getting people out of countries, not bringing them back. “That’s for her to determine and for her to decide. Personally, I advise against returning. Yet she is determined. Maria is truly inspirational,” he concluded.