Texts between Tony Gonzales and aide Regina Santos-Aviles surface after her suicide. Photos: X.
A newly disclosed text exchange from 2024 appears to show that US Representative, Congressman Tony Gonzales, encouraged one of his aides to send him an explicit photograph, prompting the staffer, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, to push back. Just over a year later, Santos-Aviles died after setting herself on fire.
The messages have intensified scrutiny on the Texas Republican, who is facing bipartisan criticism over an alleged affair with Santos-Aviles. An attorney for the staffer’s husband alleged last week that Gonzales coerced Santos-Aviles into a sexual relationship. Gonzales has previously denied having an affair and has claimed he is being extorted.
According to the messages, the exchange took place after midnight in early May 2024. Tony Gonzales asked Regina Ann Santos-Aviles for a “sexy pic.” After some back-and-forth, she replied that she did not like taking photos of herself.
He responded in two texts, “I’m just such a visual person” and “Sorry.”
The congressman then asked what her “favorite position” was. When she asked him to answer first, he did.
Santos-Aviles responded, “This is going too far boss. So how long have you thought I was this hot?”
After additional messages, she again pushed back, writing, “This is too far, Tony.”
She later added, “Please tell me you didn’t just hire me because I was hot.”
“No way,” Gonzales replied.
Several weeks after the exchange, Santos-Aviles’ husband, Adrian Aviles, learned about the alleged relationship, according to reports.
The following month, Adrian Aviles appeared to send a message from his wife’s phone to Gonzales and several members of the congressman’s staff. In the text, he wrote that he had discovered “she’s been having an affair on me with your boss Tony Gonzales for some time now.”
Santos-Aviles died in September 2025 after she was found critically burned near her home in Uvalde, according to the local police department. The Bexar County Medical Examiner ruled the death a suicide, according to reports.
Authorities have not clarified the circumstances leading up to her death.
Regina Ann Santos-Aviles was widely known in her hometown as a dedicated community advocate, devoted mother, and trusted public servant. She served as regional director in Uvalde for Congressman Tony Gonzales, acting as his local liaison across a district stretching from San Antonio to El Paso.
Born and raised in Uvalde, she built her career serving the same community. Before joining Gonzales’ congressional staff in November 2021, Santos-Aviles led the local chamber of commerce and worked with the county fairplex, roles that made her widely recognized and trusted.
As regional district director, she functioned as Gonzales’ “eyes and ears” on the ground—coordinating constituent services, attending community events, and relaying local concerns to Washington.
Following the 2022 school shooting that devastated the town, colleagues said she became a visible advocate for affected families. She pushed for expanded mental health resources and helped support the creation of a new treatment facility.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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