"Maria Corina Machado has spent more than a year in hiding after her opposition movement defeated President Nicolas Maduro in last year's election a vote widely viewed as fraudulent. Getting her out of Venezuela and safely to Oslo required an operation worthy of a thriller. At the center of that mission was U.S. Special Forces Veteran Bryan Stern, the bearded, broad-shouldered founder of Grey Bull Rescue Foundation."
"Stern and his team had only a week to plan Machado's escape, a mission they called Operation Golden Dynamite a nod to Alfred Nobel, the Peace Prize founder who also invented dynamite. A land route was ruled out too many checkpoints where she'd be recognized. So, they decided to move by sea. But they had to be careful. The U.S. military has built up a significant presence off Venezuela's coast, destroying nearly two dozen alleged narco-trafficking boats in recent months, killing at least 87 people."
Maria Corina Machado spent more than a year in hiding after her opposition movement defeated President Nicolas Maduro in a widely viewed fraudulent election. U.S. Special Forces veteran Bryan Stern and his Grey Bull Rescue Foundation planned a week-long extraction called Operation Golden Dynamite to move Machado from Venezuela to Oslo for the Nobel Peace Prize. A land route was rejected due to checkpoints and recognition, so the team chose a maritime route while avoiding fast boats that could be targeted by U.S. military patrols. Stern coordinated with U.S. officials and altered tactics when the planned rendezvous failed because Machado's boat never arrived.
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