The Way a American Military Veteran Assisted the Venezuelan Opposition Leader Flee Her Homeland

The audacious escape of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado involved a long, “scary” and soaking sea crossing in the pitch black of night, according to the American man who says he led the mission.

A Perilous Nocturnal Voyage

Bryan Stern, who leads a nonprofit rescue organisation, outlined the operation in a recent media appearance. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” stated Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing dark and choppy conditions that also provided ideal concealment for the escape.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the bigger the swells, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” he remarked.

He recalled meeting Machado out at sea after she left Venezuela, where she had been in hiding since August 2024 due to fear of targeting by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Detailed Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an secret location to catch a plane, as part of planned just four days earlier. “This was in the middle of the night – very little moon, a little bit of cloud cover, extremely low visibility, vessels running dark. All of us were pretty wet. My crew and I were drenched. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern noted.

Regarding her state, he said, She was elated. She was very excited. She was very tired,” and noted about twenty-four people were directly involved within his team.

Confirmation and Disguise

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the operation, which commenced earlier in the week. This report comes after earlier stories that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her hideout in a outskirts 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 endeavor was funded through “a few generous donors” – with no US government figures involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” Stern said.

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

Future Plans and Inspiration

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 not be involved in a return mission, 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. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.