The Most Illegal Thing Reid Ever Did On Criminal Minds
"Criminal Minds" is the CBS police procedural that ran for 15 seasons from 2005 to 2020 – with a revival reportedly in development as of this writing. The show focused on a fictional version of a real-life department within the FBI called the Behavioral Analysis Unit, which specializes in creating profiles of the world's most dangerous criminals – or "unsubs" as they call them.
"Criminal Minds" also delves into the lives of the agents working for the BAU, which are often just as chaotic as the cases they investigate. Occasionally, members of the BAU even do things that would get them in trouble with the law. For example, when Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore) was wrongfully accused of murder in his hometown of Chicago, he escaped and eluded police.
Even Dr. Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler), the socially awkward and brilliant special agent, isn't entirely innocent. Here's the worst criminal offense Dr. Reid committed during the show's 15-season run.
Getting drugs in Mexico is illegal, even if they were for his mother
Reed is by far one of the most upstanding members of the Behavioral Analysis Unit, so he doesn't often stray on the other side of the law. That's why it was a bit surprising in Season 12 when Reid got busted in Mexico for drug possession with the intent to distribute.
During Season 11, Reid's mother was diagnosed with Altzheimer's disease. At one point, she was selected to participate in trials for an experimental new drug. When the trials lost their funding, Reid found an alternate solution. With the help of a doctor in Texas named Rosa Medina, Reid learns that experimental drugs are available across the border in Mexico. He makes several trips and buys them illegally.
Eventually, Rosa Medina gets murdered by Cat's Gang, a group of vengeful criminals who want to punish Reid for his investigative work against them. Reid is framed for the murder and extradited to the United States, where he's imprisoned for most of the rest of the season.
Getting medicine for his mother isn't the worst thing in the world, but for Spencer Reid, it's the most illegal for sure.