The daring escape of political leader María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, “scary” and very wet sea crossing in the pitch black of night, according to the American man who says he led the mission.
A Dangerous Nocturnal Crossing
Bryan Stern, who heads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the mission in a newly published media appearance. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing dark and choppy conditions that simultaneously offered convenient cover for the flight.
“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the higher the waves, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” he remarked.
He described meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from the country, where she had been lying low for over a year due to fear of targeting by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.
The Step-by-Step Extraction
She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour journey to an secret location to board a flight, as part of orchestrated 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. Everyone was quite damp. 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 said, “She was very happy. She was thrilled. She was very tired,” adding that about two dozen people were actively participating within his organization.
Confirmation and Concealment
A representative for Machado verified that Stern’s company was behind the extraction, which began on Tuesday. This report follows earlier stories that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to leave her safe house in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.
Stern did not divulge specifics about the ground segment, citing his company’s future work in the country.
Funding and American Involvement
He told media the endeavor was financed by “several benefactors” – with no US officials involved. Official US funds were not used, 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, primarily to prevent being targeted by airstrikes.
Next Steps and Inspiration
Machado said she had American backing to leave Venezuela. She has announced plans to go back, though it is not clear the method or timing.
Stern indicated his group would play no part in that operation, as it worked only on extracting individuals from countries, not in. “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.
