How a US Special Forces Veteran Assisted the Venezuelan Opposition Leader Flee Her Homeland

The daring getaway of Venezuelan opposition figure 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.

The Perilous Nighttime Crossing

Bryan Stern, who leads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the operation in a newly published media appearance. It was perilous. It was scary,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, recounting dark and choppy conditions that also provided convenient cover for the flight.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the bigger the swells, the harder it is for radar to see,” Stern said.

He described meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from the country, where she had been in hiding since August 2024 due to fear of persecution by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Step-by-Step Escape Plan

Machado embarked on his boat for a half-day journey to an undisclosed location to catch a plane, as part of orchestrated just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – minimal moonlight, a little bit of cloud cover, extremely low visibility, vessels running dark. All of us were pretty wet. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern added.

Regarding her state, he commented, She was elated. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” adding that about two dozen people were directly involved within his organization.

Confirmation and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s company was responsible for 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 outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Stern did not divulge specifics about the land operation, referencing his company’s future work in the country.

Funding and American Role

He told media the endeavor was financed by “a few generous donors” – none of whom were US officials involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, at least not that I know of,” Stern asserted.

He said, however, that his group did coordinate informally with the US military regarding locations and strategy, largely to avoid being targeted by airstrikes.

Future Plans and Admiration

Machado said she had American backing to depart Venezuela. She has declared her intention to return home, though the specifics remain uncertain how or when.

Stern said his group would play no part in that operation, as it focuses exclusively 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. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.