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This daring escape of political leader María Corina Machado entailed a lengthy, “scary” and soaking sea crossing in the dead of night, according to the American man who claims to have commanded the mission.

A Perilous Nighttime Crossing

The rescue organizer, who leads a rescue nonprofit, outlined the mission in a recent interview. It was perilous. It was scary,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing rough and moonless seas that also provided convenient cover for the flight.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the bigger the swells, the harder it is for radar to see,” Stern said.

He recalled rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she departed from Venezuela, where she had been in hiding for over a year fearing persecution by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Detailed Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a half-day trip to an secret location to catch a plane, in a mission orchestrated just four days earlier. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, a little bit of cloud cover, extremely low visibility, vessels running dark. Everyone was quite damp. My crew and I were drenched. She was also chilled and wet. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern noted.

Regarding her state, he said, She was elated. She was very excited. She was very tired,” adding that about two dozen people were actively participating within his organization.

Verification and Concealment

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

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

Financing and American Role

He told media the mission was funded through “a few generous donors” – none of whom were US officials involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” Stern asserted.

He said, however, that his group did coordinate informally with the American armed forces regarding positioning and plans, primarily to prevent being mistakenly fired upon.

Future Plans and Inspiration

Machado said she had American backing to leave Venezuela. She has declared her intention to go back, though it is not clear the method or timing.

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. But I think she should not go back. Yet she is determined. Maria is truly inspirational,” he concluded.