Special forces veteran who rescued Machado begs her not to return to Venezuela | CNN
A former US special forces soldier who helped rescue Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado has made an emotional plea: please don’t go back to Venezuela.
Speaking to CNN, Bryan Stern, founder of the Grey Bull Rescue Foundation, described the operation as the most dangerous mission his team has ever carried out. The extraction took nearly 16 hours, much of it under cover of darkness, across rough and freezing waters.
“This was the hardest, most high-profile, and most delicate operation we’ve ever done,” Stern said.
A risky escape under global watch
According to Stern, Machado secretly boarded a small boat along Venezuela’s coast late Tuesday night. That boat then met Stern’s team at a planned rendezvous point at sea. From there, she was transferred to another vessel and taken to safety.
The risks were extraordinary. Machado is not just a political leader—she is a global symbol of resistance. After receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, intelligence agencies from Venezuela, Cuba, and even Russia were reportedly searching for her.
“Everyone knew her face. Everyone knew who she was,” Stern explained. “That made this operation far more dangerous than anything we’ve done before.”
Despite conducting over 800 rescue missions and helping more than 8,000 people, Stern noted this was the first time his team rescued someone with a global public profile.
From hiding to Oslo
By early Wednesday morning, the boat reached shore. Machado then boarded a plane that eventually took her to Oslo, Norway, where she was scheduled to receive her Nobel Peace Prize. Flight data reviewed by CNN showed the plane departing from Curaçao, stopping in Bangor, Maine, and then continuing to Norway.
The Dutch Embassy in Caracas later confirmed it had no role in her escape.
Machado arrived in Oslo just hours after the Nobel ceremony, which her daughter accepted on her behalf. She later appeared on the balcony of Oslo’s Grand Hotel, waving to cheering supporters. It was her first public appearance in nearly a year.
Life in hiding
Machado had gone underground after Venezuela’s government cracked down on opposition voices following a disputed election last year. She briefly resurfaced in January to protest the swearing-in of President Nicolás Maduro, before disappearing again for safety reasons.
Her team declined to comment on the details of the rescue or confirm Grey Bull’s involvement.
Machado herself has acknowledged receiving support from the US government but said she cannot share details yet. “One day I will be able to tell you,” she said, “because I don’t want to put anyone at risk right now.”
No US backing, but coordination for safety
Stern clarified that the mission was funded by anonymous donors and not officially backed by the US government. However, his team did notify the US military of their presence in the area.
“We were operating where the US military is active,” Stern said. “I was deeply concerned about being mistaken for a drug boat.”
While the US military wasn’t told the full plan until the final moments, they were informed of the general operating area to prevent any tragic misunderstandings.
“I begged her not to return”
Perhaps the most powerful moment came after Machado was safe.
“When we were on the boat together, I begged her not to go back,” Stern said. “She could be arrested, tortured, or killed. I couldn’t bear the thought of putting her back in danger.”
Still, Stern acknowledged Machado’s deep sense of responsibility. “She’s a leader,” he said. “And leaders want to be with their people, no matter the risk.”
#MariaCorinaMachado #VenezuelaCrisis #NobelPeacePrize #HumanRights #GlobalPolitics