Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader who resurfaced in Norway after attending the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, was reportedly smuggled out of Venezuela in a covert nighttime sea crossing that a U.S. veteran-led rescue group described as long, dangerous and very wet.
The Sea Crossing
Bryan Stern, a U.S. special forces veteran and head of the Grey Bull Rescue Foundation, told CBS News that Machado boarded his vessel at sea after leaving a hideout outside Caracas. The maritime leg lasted about 13–14 hours in dark, choppy conditions with little moonlight and no lights on the boats — conditions Stern said were hazardous but helped conceal the operation.
"It was dangerous. It was scary," Stern said. "All of us were pretty wet. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She had a very arduous journey."
Planning, Personnel and Security
Stern said the mission was planned just four days before the extraction and that roughly two dozen people from his team were directly involved. He declined to provide details about any land-based elements of the operation, citing operational security and the foundation's ability to continue working in Venezuela.
Funding and U.S. Contacts
The Grey Bull Rescue Foundation described the extraction as financed by "a few generous donors," and Stern told CBS he believed no U.S. government funds were used. He also said his group "unofficially collaborated" with U.S. military personnel on positioning and planning largely to reduce the risk of being targeted by airstrikes, but he stressed the operation was privately funded.
Aftermath and Return Plans
Reports in The Wall Street Journal said Machado left her Caracas suburb hideout wearing a disguise. After appearing in Norway, Machado told reporters she had support to leave Venezuela and has said she intends to return, though she has not provided a timetable. Stern said his organization focuses on extractions and will not take part in any planned return trip.
Context
Machado had reportedly been in hiding since January amid fears of persecution by President Nicolás Maduro. The account has drawn attention for both the operational details of the escape and the questions it raises about private evacuations and the role of unofficial coordination with military actors.
