Complex Rescue Operation for Venezuelan Leader
The operation to extract Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Colina Machado, and bring her to Norway for the Nobel Peace Prize involved intricate logistics spanning land, sea, and air.
Dubbed “Operation Golden Dynamite,” this mission was led by Brian Stern, a U.S. Special Forces veteran and founder of the Gray Bull Rescue Foundation, an organization focused on high-risk evacuations from conflict zones.
Getting Machado out of Venezuela, where she is viewed as a fugitive by President Nicolas Maduro, required a variety of tactics—disguises and deception, navigating perilous waters, and arranging air travel.
“She is viewed by the Maduro regime similarly to how we viewed Osama bin Laden,” Stern remarked. “That underlines the level of scrutiny and danger involved.”
Machado has been in hiding since Maduro’s contentious election victory, remaining out of the public eye for several months. Notably, Stern emphasized that the U.S. government had no role in their operation.
The team had set up operations in the Caribbean, Venezuela, and nearby Aruba, preparing for the challenges of extracting Machado. According to Stern, the most significant hurdle was actually getting her out of the country. His team took various measures to create distractions, enabling a covert movement from her home to a secured landing spot.
“Anything that could obscure her identity was used,” he explained. “We were also employing some deceptive tactics on the ground to mislead anyone who might be watching.”
Initially, the maritime phase presented difficulties; the boat designated to rescue Machado encountered issues with navigation in turbulent seas, causing delays. Stern described conditions that were quite literally dark, with the team needing to rely on flashlights to locate one another while maintaining radio silence for safety reasons.
After successfully boarding her, Stern’s excitement was palpable: “Jackpot, jackpot, jackpot,” he announced to his team. “Right now, we’re on the run with the most wanted woman in the Western Hemisphere.”
He expressed deep admiration for Machado, stating, “Personally, she’s my hero. I’ve been following her for years.”
While their escape journey led them safely into international waters, the looming concern was about perceptions of kidnapping. “If we look like we abducted her, the regime could react aggressively,” Stern noted, expressing the palpable tension their team felt during the operation.
With the threat of being chased by the Venezuelan government, Stern ordered his crew to maintain maximum speed without stopping. “I told my boat captain to keep going, regardless of who comes after us,” he remarked, sharing the urgency of their situation.
During the escape, two F-18 fighter jets flew overhead, adding another layer of uncertainty to the mission. Stern couldn’t tell if they were friendly or hostile, but he was sure they weren’t there to assist them.
Ultimately, the team managed to transport Machado safely. The final segment of her journey to Norway was arranged through personal connections, using a friend’s private jet, allowing her to arrive without incident. Stern revealed that this was “by far” one of the most complex operations in their history, which includes over 800 missions around the world.
