Rajneesh Puram: The True Story of America’s Largest Bioterror Attack
In September 1984, the Dalles, Oregon, became ground zero for the largest bioterror attack in U.S. history. Over 750 residents fell violently ill after eating at local salad bars, victims of a salmonella poisoning plot orchestrated not by foreign terrorists, but by a cult operating just miles away. This was the dark climax of Rajneesh Puram, a utopian city built from scratch by followers of the Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. What began as a spiritual commune evolved into a heavily armed state within a state, complete with its own police force, 93 Rolls Royces for its silent leader, and a brazen plan to seize political control of an entire American county through biological warfare and voter fraud.
The "Invasion" of Antelope The saga began in 1981 when Ma Anand Sheela, the guru's fierce personal secretary, purchased a 64,000 acre ranch in the Oregon high desert for $5.75 million. Leveraging loopholes in state land use laws, the Rajneeshis incorporated their own city, complete with a mayor and police force. When legal challenges mounted, they executed a hostile takeover of the nearby town of Antelope (population 75), outvoting locals to seize the city council and renaming the town "Rajneesh." This "legal coup" demonstrated a terrifying efficiency by flooding a small jurisdiction with loyalists, they could democratically elect themselves into absolute power.
The Homeless Voter Scheme With their eyes set on controlling Wasco County, Sheela devised the "Share a Home" program in 1984. Under the guise of charity, the cult bussed over 4,000 homeless people from across the U.S. to the ranch, intending to register them as voters to overwhelm the local electorate. When the state closed the registration loophole, the plan collapsed into chaos. The homeless were drugged with Haldol to keep them compliant, then unceremoniously dumped in nearby cities when they were no longer politically useful. This cynically exploitative maneuver highlighted the cult's view of democracy a system to be hacked, not honored.
Project Salsa Bioterror at the Salad Bar Facing electoral defeat, Sheela's inner circle escalated to "Project Salsa." In a secret biolab, they cultivated salmonella bacteria and contaminated salad bars at ten restaurants in The Dalles. The goal was to incapacitate voters on election day, suppressing turnout to ensure a Rajneeshi victory. While the attack successfully sickened hundreds, it had the opposite political effect suspicious and terrified locals turned out in record numbers to vote against the cult candidates. The bioterror plot, intended to secure power, ultimately became the catalyst for the commune's destruction.
The Collapse and The Flight Paranoia eventually fractured the cult's leadership. In 1985, Sheela fled to Europe as the guru broke his silence to accuse her of arson, wiretapping, and attempted murder. This internal civil war allowed federal investigators to raid the compound, uncovering the biolab, a massive wiretapping network, and a hit list of enemies. Sheela was extradited and sentenced to 20 years but served only 29 months. The Bhagwan, attempting to flee to Bermuda in a Learjet loaded with jewels and cash, was arrested on the tarmac in North Carolina. He pleaded guilty to immigration fraud and was deported, leaving behind a ghost town that stands as a monument to the fragility of democratic institutions when faced with a coordinated, well funded extremist group.