A tangled and tragic tale has emerged involving a Texas congressman and his aide, culminating in a heart-wrenching end. The saga centers around US Representative Tony Gonzales and his interactions with Regina Aviles, a former aide who ultimately took her own life in a devastating manner.
Text messages, uncovered by the Daily Mail, paint a picture of a troubling relationship between the two. In May 2024, a series of late-night exchanges between Gonzales and Aviles reveal a conversation steeped in inappropriate and sexually suggestive requests. This was a mere 16 months before Aviles’s tragic suicide.
Gonzales, a father-of-six, initiated the exchange with a direct and explicit request, sending a message at 12:15 a.m. that read: “Send me a sexy pic.” Aviles, then serving as the director of his regional district office in Uvalde, pushed back, expressing her reluctance and referencing a difficult week, saying, “you don’t really want a hot picture of me.”
Despite her hesitance, Gonzales persisted. His messages grew more insistent, urging her with a simple, “Yes I do,” followed by a prompt to “Hurry.” Aviles, standing her ground, replied shortly after, “No, I just don’t like taking pictures of myself.”
This exchange is just a glimpse into the complicated dynamics between the congressman and his aide, highlighting the pressures and boundaries crossed in their relationship. The tragic outcome serves as a stark reminder of the profound impacts such interactions can have on individuals’ lives.
‘No, I just don’t like taking pictures of myself,’ Aviles responded a few minutes later.
‘I’m just such a visual person,’ Gonzales persisted.
The congressman went on to ask Aviles about her favorite sexual positions, including a crass one-word message: ‘A***?’.
Regina Aviles died after setting herself on fire in September 2025 – more than a year after her alleged affair was exposed by her husband
Text messages obtained by the Daily Mail reveal a sexually explicit late-night exchange between US Representative Tony Gonzales (pictured) and Aviles in May 2024, 16 months before her suicide
‘Never,’ Aviles responded. Twice, she warned him he was going ‘too far.’ The texts went on until 1am.
Their alleged affair was exposed by Aviles’ husband Adrian in June 2025 and first reported by the Daily Mail in October 2025, weeks after her death.
In a cringe-inducing group text sent by Adrian Aviles to Gonzales’ staffers, the angry spouse revealed he was divorcing his wife after finding out about their romantic relationship.
‘Just a heads up this is Adriana Aviles, Reginas [sic] soon to be ex husband I just wanted to inform all of you that we will be getting a divorced [sic] after my discovery of text messages and pictures that she’s been having an affair on me with your boss Tony Gonzales for some time now, Feel [sic] free to reach out if you want more of an explanation.’
Gonzales denied the relationship in November 2025, suggesting the Mail’s reporting was ‘untruthful.’ He has since accused her ex-husband of trying to blackmail him.
Adrian Aviles tried to negotiate a confidential settlement with the congressman over the affair and his wife’s death before going public.
The newly unearthed messages were extracted from Aviles’ cellphone by a forensic team working with her husband’s legal team.
Representatives for Gonzales did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail’s request for comment.
The lawmaker is seeking a fourth House term and faces a closely contested primary on March 3. Early voting has been underway since February 17.
Gonzales (left) and Aviles (right) are pictured with Elon Musk in Texas in September 2023
Aviles was the mother of an eight-year-old boy and reportedly suffered from spiraling depression
The relationship may have been in breach of US House ethics rules barring romantic relations with staff members. Gonzales has been under federal investigation over the alleged affair since last year, according to Aviles’ ex-husband.
Aviles, 35, killed herself in September 2025 by dousing herself in gasoline and setting herself on fire in her backyard.
She is the mother of an eight-year-old boy and reportedly suffered from spiraling depression after her affair with Gonzales ended and her husband moved out.
In the May 2024 text exchange, Gonzales also admitted finding her ‘hot’ long before their affair began.
‘Please tell me you didn’t just hire me because I was hot,’ she said.
In another message, she urged him to go to sleep and questioned whether he was drunk.
Further texts obtained by the San Antonio Express-News reportedly show that despite Aviles’ hesitation, she arranged to meet Gonzales two days later while he campaigned in the Uvalde area.
According to the newspaper, Gonzales texted that it ‘will be lots of fun,’ adding that they should at the agreed location ‘at check-in time.’
Gonzales, with his wife and six children, presented himself as a family man
Aviles’ husband Adrain (pictured together) found out about the relationship in June 2024
When the Daily Mail first approached Gonzales about the alleged affair in September, he did not deny it.
Then in November, he claimed: ‘The rumors are completely untruthful. I am generally untrusting of these outlets.’
Gonzales regularly granted interviews to the Daily Mail until we started reporting on his relationship with Aviles.
The romantic relationship between Gonzales and Aviles allegedly began in 2022, former staffers told the Daily Mail anonymously for fear of retaliation.
Adrian Aviles believes Gonzales made the first move and was rebuffed by his wife, who felt pressured to lean in due to his influence.
After the alleged affair became public in Gonzales’ office, the congressman stopped talking to Aviles but did not fire her.
Instead, she was told to take a paid month off work and was gradually blacklisted upon her return, losing increasing responsibilities, her husband said.
Adrian revealed that she was ‘spiraling.’ The couple could not reconcile, and he moved out with their son.
For help and support contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on 988
