Bryan Stern, a US special forces veteran and head of the private group Gray Bull Rescue, was responsible for the clandestine operation that lasted between 15 and 16 hours to extract Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado from her country, and to get her safely to Norway to receive her Nobel Peace Prize and reunite with her family.

The American veteran said in an interview with CBS News: “I am the contractor who specializes in extractions and I have never been hired by Donald Trump.” The operation was funded by “a few generous donors.”

“The United States government did not contribute a single penny to this operation, at least not to my knowledge,” Stern stated, acknowledging that he and his organization “unofficially collaborated” with the US military on positioning and plans, largely to avoid being inadvertently attacked.

Stern, who has carried out hundreds of extraction operations in conflict zones, noted that this was the first time they had rescued a Nobel Prize winner and a political figure of such high profile. "She has a huge target on her back. She's not just anyone; she's a rock star to millions of Venezuelans," he asserted. For months, the Gray Bull Rescue team had studied routes and scenarios for a possible operation in Venezuela, but the final decision was made just four days prior. The objective was to circumvent the surveillance of Nicolas Maduro's regime, which was intensely pursuing Machado while military tensions continued to escalate off the Venezuelan coast. “It was a tough, cold, soaking journey… no one enjoyed that trip, especially Maria,” Stern recounted. Even so, he considered it a “necessary and urgent” rescue, given the high risk the opposition leader faced within the country. The secret mission that defended the sea and the Maduro regime. The operation began by land, although Stern avoided revealing details for security reasons. The only thing he confirmed is that Gray Bull still has “unfinished business” in Venezuela, so disclosing routes, collaborators, or methods could endanger many lives. The maritime phase, however,offered a glimpse into the level of difficulty: high waves, minimal visibility, and absolute silence on the high seas. Stern described the encounter with Machado as occurring at “a point in the Caribbean extremely far from Curacao,” refuting reports that the pickup took place on that island. There, in the middle of the night, the opposition leader was transferred to a boat that would take her to another safe point where she would board the plane to Norway. When she got on board, he recounted, “everyone was soaked to the bone.” The sea, although ideal for reducing radar detection, made every movement a risk. “No one had low blood pressure at any stage of the operation, not even me,” stated the veteran, accustomed to missions in war zones. Stern himself received Machado on his vessel for a journey that lasted between 13 and 14 hours. “Confirming it was her made my heart skip a beat,” he said. The team consisted of about two dozen specialists, although many more people collaborated indirectly with intelligence, translation, and logistics. Once at sea, the conversation with Machado deeply affected him: "Personally, I was blown away. She is a hero to me," said Stern. “When I saw her for the first time and confirmed it was her, my heart skipped a beat,” as he recalled that the opposition leader had spent almost a year in hiding. “She spoke about her children… when she said she would see them for the first time in two years, I almost cried.”

Machado arrived in Norway late and was unable to attend the Nobel Prize ceremony, which was accepted by her daughter. But for Stern, that was never a goal: “The most important thing was to save her life.”

The opposition leader has publicly expressed her desire to return to Venezuela. Stern, however, does not recommend it. “I told her, 'Don't come back.' I think she's crazy. She's very tough… you know?… there's a reason they call her the Iron Lady.”

When asked if Gray Bull would help her return to the country, Stern told CBS News that he doesn't “infiltrate,” only “exfiltrate.” Even so, he admits that the final decision will be hers. If she decides to return, she'll do it on her own terms.”