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The daring escape of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado entailed a long, frightening and soaking sea crossing in the pitch black of night, according to the US veteran who claims to have commanded the operation.

A Perilous Nighttime Voyage

The rescue organizer, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, outlined the operation in a recent interview. “It was dangerous. It was terrifying,” stated Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing rough and moonless seas that also provided ideal concealment for the flight.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the bigger the swells, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” Stern said.

He recalled meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from Venezuela, where she had been in hiding for over a year fearing targeting by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Step-by-Step Extraction

She boarded his boat for a half-day trip to an secret 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. All of us were pretty wet. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was also chilled and wet. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern noted.

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

Verification and Disguise

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s company was behind the operation, which began on Tuesday. This report follows previous reporting that Machado used a wig and costume to flee her hideout in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Stern did not divulge details about the land operation, citing 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. Official US funds were not used, to my knowledge,” Stern said.

He clarified, though, that his group did “unofficially collaborate” with the American armed forces regarding positioning and plans, primarily to prevent being mistakenly fired upon.

Next Steps and Inspiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to leave Venezuela. She has announced plans to return home, though the specifics remain uncertain the method or timing.

Stern indicated his group would not be involved in that operation, as it focuses exclusively 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. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.