Previous raids in California uncovered similar indoor operations, such as one in Sacramento in 1989 that contained 8,000 plants. But the yield of the plants in Oregon was considered to be much greater. Larry Hahn, a supervisory special DEA agent from Washington, D.C., who helped direct the raid, said he had never seen such high-yielding marijuana plants.

Seven individuals were booked on suspicion of conspiracy to manufacture a controlled substance by the DEA and Oregon State Police. They were: Paul R. Spezza, 40, of Sisters, Ore., alleged to be the ringleader; John G. Russell, 45, of Scotts Mills, Ore.; Kevin P. Day, 37, of Silverton, and Gabriel Ramos, 31, Jose Martinez, 33, Federico Ramos, 24, and Artemio Rodrigues, 26, all of Mt. Angel, Ore.

The DEA's administrator in Washington, Robert C. Bonner, said Thursday's big marijuana bust was "reflective of the fact that as we become more successful in closing down outdoor marijuana growers, we've increasingly seen sophisticated indoor marijuana cultivation."