Overwhelmed NSA Surprised to Discover Its Own Surveillance “Goldmine” on Venezuela’s Oil Executives

A TOP-SECRET NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY DOCUMENT, dated 2011, describes how, by “sheer luck,” an analyst was able to access the communications of top officials of Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela.

Beyond the issue of spying on a business, the document highlightsa significantflawinmass surveillance programs: how indiscriminatecollection can blind rather than illuminate. It also illustrates the technical and bureaucratic ease with which NSA analysts are able to accessth...