PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. — Bryan Stern, founder of the Grey Bull Rescue Foundation, shared details Sunday of the high-risk mission that extracted Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado from a year of hiding in Venezuela.

Stern led “Operation Golden Dynamite,” which culminated in Machado’s safe arrival in Oslo, Norway, where her daughter accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf.

Stern, a U.S. military special ops and combat veteran, explained the challenges of rescuing Machado, one of the most recognized figures in the Western Hemisphere.

“The biggest challenge was Maria. She’s a household name,” he said. “The entire Venezuelan, Cuban, and Russian intelligence services, plus half of Hezbollah, were all looking for her.”

Stern’s team completed the operation after receiving the call just last Friday.

“For me, it was about extracting a mother who hasn’t seen her kids in two years,” Stern said, emphasizing the personal stakes of the mission. “This is what we do — we understand how the security services function.”

The mission marked Grey Bull Rescue’s 800th operation, adding a high-profile political figure to their record of 8,400 rescues.

Stern joined “This Week in South Florida” host Glenna Milberg to discuss the high-risk mission. Their conversation can be seen at the top of this page.

Local 10 viewers can learn more about the foundation and find out how to make a donation by clicking here.

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