Elite Rescue Operation Helps Venezuelan Opposition Leader Escape to Receive Nobel Peace Prize

A high-stakes covert mission involving maritime evasion, disguises, and tactical deception successfully extracted Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado from her homeland, allowing her to reach Norway to accept her Nobel Peace Prize.

The operation, code-named “Golden Dynamite,” was led by Bryan Stern, a U.S. special forces veteran who heads the Tampa-based Grey Bull Rescue Foundation, an organization specializing in evacuations from conflict and disaster zones.

“She’s perceived by the Maduro regime the way we perceived Osama bin Laden,” Stern explained. “That level of manhunt, if you will.” Machado had been in hiding for months since President Nicolás Maduro’s disputed election victory last year, with her public appearances virtually nonexistent.

Stern emphasized that the U.S. government was not involved in the operation. His team had been strategically establishing presence throughout the Caribbean, Venezuela, and Aruba in preparation for operations in the region.

The first major challenge involved moving Machado from her safe house to a coastal extraction point without detection. “Anything that we could have possibly think of that we thought could hide her face was employed,” Stern said. The team also conducted diversionary tactics to confuse potential surveillance. “We did some deception operations on the ground. We made some noise in some places designed to get people to think something was happening that wasn’t.”

The maritime phase proved equally challenging. Of two boats deployed for the mission, the vessel designated for Machado’s extraction lost GPS functionality in rough seas and experienced mechanical issues that delayed the operation. The team was forced to navigate through “pitch-black darkness” in violently turbulent waters that reportedly left one seasoned operator vomiting for nine consecutive hours.

The rendezvous itself presented additional complications. With radio silence necessary to prevent detection, the two vessels had to locate each other in complete darkness using only flashlights. Stern remained vigilant, concerned that the approaching boat could be a trap set by Venezuelan forces. His team circled Machado’s vessel, shining lights to verify her presence before proceeding.

After physically pulling Machado aboard his boat, Stern announced to his team: “Jackpot, jackpot, jackpot.” The mission then entered its most perilous phase. “Now we are on the run with Maria Corina Machado, the most wanted woman in the Western Hemisphere, on my boat,” he recounted.

Once in international waters, the team’s focus shifted to avoiding any appearance of a kidnapping that could provide the Venezuelan government with justification for attack. “They lie. They could have killed us for any reason,” Stern said. “We’re in the middle of the ocean and there’s no one around to see the truth.”

Stern ordered his boat captain to proceed at maximum speed regardless of circumstances. “You do not stop at all. Let them chase us if they have to. We have got to get to land,” he instructed.

During the escape, two F-18 fighter jets reportedly flew overhead, creating a moment of tension as the team could not determine whether the aircraft were hostile or friendly. Stern noted it was likely not coordinated protection from the U.S. Navy.

The maritime team successfully delivered Machado to safety. While an air extraction contingency had been planned, Machado’s personal network ultimately arranged for her final journey to Norway via a friend’s private jet, culminating in her safe arrival to receive her Nobel Prize.

Despite Grey Bull Rescue’s extensive experience in high-threat environments including Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and Haiti, Stern described the Machado extraction as “overwhelmingly” the most complex mission in his organization’s history, which spans approximately 800 operations.

The successful operation represents a significant blow to the Maduro regime, which has faced international criticism for its authoritarian governance and disputed electoral processes. Machado’s appearance in Oslo to accept the Nobel Peace Prize is viewed as a powerful symbol for Venezuela’s pro-democracy movement.