II. Main Point 1: The Sinaloa Drug Cartel was created when a previous powerful drug cartel failed due to the arrest of its leader. Subpoint 1: Tessa Vinson explains the origins of the cartel in the Spring 2009 issue of The Monitor. Chinese immigrants working on the railroads brought with them their knowledge of poppy cultivation. The poppy is a plant that contains opium which is a source of many other drugs. As the need for the poppy grew, Sinaloans began exporting it to the United States via the Pacific Railroad. The United States and Mexico became increasingly aware of this and launched “Operation Condor” in November 1975, which eliminated most of the poppy fields by air. This forced many smaller cartels out of business, but also eliminated competition from more established cartels. With the poppy supply gone, most cartels have turned their attention to Colombian cocaine. In the mid-1970s, drug lord Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, head of the powerful Guadalajara Cartel, began exporting cocaine. He became known as "El Padrino", as he eventually controlled almost the entire drug market. (Vinson, 2009, p...