Barrenderos

## Description:

"Barrenderos" is a term which literally translates to "Street Sweepers" in Spanish, but is used by residents of the western hemisphere to refer to a specific type of Corporate-affiliated Mexican gang; the term exists as an umbrella, and is used to describe any gang, cartel, or other criminal organization which is connected (directly or otherwise) to Aztech Biomedical Associates and its subsidiaries. The term first gained traction in the early 2020's CE to refer to the informally-allied Mexican drug cartels which were banding together to form Aztech Biomedical Associates; the term then evolved to apply only to Aztech's criminal elements once the megacorporation was officially founded. On the street, people may refer to the Barrenderos as "Ratas Aztecas" (Aztec Rats) due to their heavy corporate affiliation, or "Azrats" for the English-speakers; the term "Assrats" is also used as a derogatory insult, a particularly harsh one which usually starts a fight. These organizations are independent of each other and semi-independent from their parent megacorporation, and each have their own micro-culture, traditions, and histories; however, these groups all retain some standard features and draw support from Aztech. Los Barrenderos generally maintain positive relations with one another, and compete fiercely with groups like the Crimson Crescent and Maofu Clan.

### Organization:

#### Headquarters: N/A (various)

While hundreds of Barrenderos exist across the western hemisphere, their overall structure remains the same. Operating like the drug cartels which spawned their megacorporate masters, the Barrenderos are each led by a Jefe/a (Boss), Patron (Chief), or Padrino/a (Godfather/mother); these leading members are chosen directly by Aztech Biomedical Associates, as are the gangs' advising members and lead enforcers, and are all overseen by specialized corporate representatives, referred to as "[REDACTED]." Below the boss sits the boss's "Generals," their leading members who oversee various branches of the group's operations; like the Boss, these people can be chosen by Aztech or selected by the Boss and approved by the corporate representative. These Generals are often chosen for their leadership abilities and skills in whichever field they are tasked with overseeing; Generals are often selected to oversee Accounting, Security, Recruitment, and Income Management. Each General has his own team of friends and advisors, called Captains; these Captains control neighborhoods, referred to as "Plazas," within a gang's territory and take orders from their General or Boss directly, and are not allowed to interact with their gang's corporate liaisons at all. Below the Captains sit the Lieutenants, who lead squads of gang members on the various tasks set out for them by their bosses, whether that be running drugs back and forth, collecting cash payments, guarding shipments, or carrying out a hit on a rival. Below the Lieutenants sit the standard Sicarios of the gang, the foot soldiers who do as they are told and get paid for doing so.

The Barrenderos often recruit from 2 sources: people who live in impoverished conditions with few other options, and those of Mexican descent. The gangs prey on poor communities, infecting the area with their parasitic culture and attracting impressionable children/teenagers and desperate adults into a life of crime. Similarly, the gangs often draw support from Mexico itself, making use of Aztech's godlike influence over the region and the deep roots of cartel culture there to attract new members and contacts. The Barrenderos are always in need of new blood, and recruit as often as they can in order to replenish lost manpower and expand their operations.

The Barrenderos exist as inevitable splinter-groups created by Aztech's Corporate Culture and "brand" of operation; as such, the Barrenderos exist only to expand Aztech's influence, power, wealth, and reputation beyond where the megacorporation can reach. While it is known that many of the major megacorporations have deep ties to certain criminal organizations, none are as deeply ingrained with the underworld as Aztech Biomedical Associates; the Barrenderos are so connected to Aztech's operations, that a majority of Aztech's distribution networks rely on the gangs and illegal street dealers. Therefore, all of the Barrenderos dedicate all of their resources to pleasing Aztech, who can decide to erase any of the gangs at a moment's notice; similarly, the Barrenderos strive to climb the ranks of fame and importance under Aztech's promise that successful gangsters can one day be hired as official employees of the company, a promise which claims to elevate the destitute from poverty almost instantly and which is therefore incredibly effective at eliciting fanatic loyalty in the gangsters. The Barrenderos also work tirelessly to produce, smuggle, transport, store, and sell massive quantities of drugs, often on Aztech's behalf; Barrenderos which surpass certain quotas receive special privileges or bonuses from Aztech, ranging from greater financial rewards to access to corporate resources or even corporate weaponry, a dangerous practice for which Aztech has been punished in the past. This also instills a powerful sense of competition among the Barrenderos, who must beat one another in order to receive approval from the megacorporation; as such, these mini-cartels are known to fight one another and develop strong rivalries within their sicario culture. The Barrenderos operate across South and Central America, and hold massive influence across the Southern and Western regions of North America; the Barrenderos are impeded in their expansion by the Crimson Crescent, who control most of North America and who maintain a potent presence in areas east of the Mississippi River, and the Maofu Clan, who control portions of North America's West Coast.

The Barrenderos are involved in a wide range of criminal activity. While their main business model revolves around the production, transportation, distribution, and sale of illegal narcotics, many Barrenderos are also involved in human trafficking, arms dealing, illegal gambling, etc.; the Barrenderos are also one of the largest forces in Los Angeles's illegal racing scene, are infamous for their prostitution rings, and feared by banking megacorporations for their reputation as "banditos" and bank robbing thieves. The Barrenderos are also heavily imbedded within the entertainment industry, running many hotels, nightclubs, resorts, smaller industrial companies, etc. around Los Angeles, Tijuana, and northern Mexico; furthermore, the Barrenderos are considered one of the larger financial influences on Hollywood and their films, applying pressure on directors and producers to ensure that Aztech and Sicario Culture always look good in the eyes of the public. The Barrenderos are one of the few criminal organizations to place such a large emphasis on the importance of social media, entertainment, and public image; as a result, the Barrenderos respond to insults, slander, and criticism very seriously, even if an off-hand comment was meant as a joke or made in good company. Beyond their obsession with appearances and reputation, the Barrenderos are also engaged in the War of the Estates along the Texas-Mexico border against The Estates which operate there.

#### List of Ranks:

1. [REDACTED]/Corporate Representative
2. Boss
3. General
4. Captain
5. Lieutenant
6. Sicario

### Equipment:

Like most street gangs in the K4 Universe, their technological capability and equipment is haphazard, non-standard, and wildly variable. Different gangs have access to different stockpiles of equipment; while some might be limited to whatever weapons they can steal or make, larger Barrenderos may be actively supplied by Aztech and have access to the megacorporation's selection of weapons and vehicles. Generally, the Barrenderos maintain a level of technology equivalent to other street gangs; they have access to Chrome and Organic Augmentation, teams of hackers, and advanced ballistic weapons. As stated previously, particularly successful Barrenderos will receive direct supply from Aztech.

### Gang Culture:

The gang culture which surrounds the Barrenderos is very much an outside-facing one; it centers around the maintenance of reputation, "honor," and the upholding of "Sicario" values in the eyes of the public, who serve as the gang's primary recruitment source and customer base. The Barrenderos must keep up appearances and maintain their reputations in order to guarantee that their customers continue to buy from them and discourage aggressive action from other rival criminal groups. Spiritually, the Sicario Culture practices a form of neo-Roman Catholicism which is found all across Mexico and much of Central and South America; this sect places a greater emphasis on idols and Saints, and has rebased their Papal figure to Mexico City when the Great Spherical Church purchased Vatican City in the 2030's CE; as such, Sicario Culture believes in the supernatural in the form of Saints, Angels, Demons, and the divine will of God; Sicario Culture's flavor of Neo-Catholicism also claims that their criminality is sanctioned by God. Worship exists in the form of Masses, private prayer, sacrifices at shrines, and special holiday celebrations; holidays celebrate important Saints and historical figures, the very important Dia de los Muertos, and things like Christmas and Easter.

In the Sicario Culture, deadly sins include cowardice, dishonor, failure, laziness, and betrayal. The venerated virtues are therefore courage, honor, success and victory, initiative and dedication, and loyalty.

Sicario Culture places a heavy emphasis on the importance of art, especially drawing and painting and music, almost all of which is derived from traditional Mexican culture. These forms of expression are used by Aztech and the Barrenderos as a propaganda tool and recruitment aid, to help draw in recruits and control the population.

The average age of employment is the very early 20's, as Barrenderos are known to employ children as young as 10 in their gangs and allow members in their 70's to retire peacefully. Initiation into the Barrenderos depends on the individual gang, but often requires that the initiate complete a job for the gang, harm someone, or even kill someone for the first time, usually in some specific or semi-ritualistic manner.

Marriage is considered a sacred Sacrament in the Neo-Catholic religion to which many Barrenderos adhere. Their members follow traditional Catholic rituals for marriage combined with Mexican traditions.

Due to the danger of their careers, the funerary beliefs held by Sicario Culture are understandably complex. This is further compounded by the importance of La Dia de los Muertos, "The Day of the Dead." The Barrenderos respect their dead and honor them yearly; as such, dead relatives and friends are spoken of as if they were still alive, and insults directed at deceased individuals are taken with extreme prejudice.

Despite their volatility and criminal careers, Sicario Culture is quite open to outsiders and considerably more tolerant than most people may expect; the culture has no problem living alongside other cultural groups. This peacefulness is not maintained out of the kindness of hearts, however; instead, this tolerance and welcoming atmosphere is stoked only inasmuch as it attracts outsiders to their way of life. Sicario Culture is also very patriarchal, and obsessed with the idea of "machismo," or a properly "manly" male figure, and as such is plagued by strict gender roles which many outsiders perceive as archaic and oppressive.