It is revealed that Elle is fluent in Spanish and that her mother is Cuban.
Despite her last name, Garcia does not know Spanish nor is she of Hispanic or Latino descent; (she assumed her stepfather's surname as a child.) She states that she "took French in high school."
Machismo is a Spanish word derived from macho, meaning a strong sense of masculine pride.
The building used as the Federal Police building in Mexico is also the building used as the C.B.I. building in The Mentalist (2008).
While originated from the Spanish word "macho" (male animal) in both cases, the word "machismo" actually appeared independently in English and Spanish and has different meanings in each language. In English, it means "exaggerated masculinity"; in Spanish, it means "male chauvinism" and it has much more negative connotations.