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Who is Adrian Aviles? Late Regina Santos-Aviles' husband addresses her affair with Tony Gonzales, ‘He abused his power’
The husband of Regina Santos-Aviles, who died after setting herself ablaze, said Tony Gonzales “abused his power” when he allegedly had an affair with his wife.
The husband of Rep. Tony Gonzales’ former aide Regina Santos-Aviles has alleged that the Congressman “abused his power” when he allegedly had an affair with Regina. Adrian Aviles has opened up about the case months after his wife died by suicide by setting herself ablaze, and shortly after a new report claimed that Tony and Regina had been having an affair.
A former staffer in Tony’s district office, who worked closely with Regina, said that she told him they had an affair in 2024, according to the San Antonio Express News. Regina also confessed that she went into a depression.
Who is Adrian Aviles?
Adrian said in an interview with the San Antonio Express-News that Tony should be held accountable for becoming romantically involved with his wife. Not much has been revealed about Adrian besides his identity as Regina's husband.
“I said the truth would come to light when it’s time, and the time is now,” Adrian said. “Tony abused his power. He should have held himself to a higher standard as a congressional leader.
“I hope that Tony will stand up and be accountable for his actions,” he added.
Adrian, 40, recalled that he discovered the alleged affair on the night of May 31, 2024, when he noticed his wife texting Tony. Adrian had just returned home from a jiu-jitsu class.
“I kind of looked over her shoulder, and I saw that she was texting Tony,” Adrian said.
When he questioned his wife about the messages, she told him, “You’re not going to like what you see.”
Adrian said that he took the phone away from his wife and left the house, and later found texts from Tony to Regina that were “very sexual in nature.” He said that it appeared as though Tony and his wife were having an affair for at least two weeks.
Adrian said that he is speaking out now because he “couldn’t bear to sit by” and listen to Tony “lie on my wife’s name.”
Tony told the New York Post on Wednesday, February 18, that he was “not going to engage in these personal smears and instead will remain focused on helping President Trump secure the border and improve the lives of all Texans.”
“Ms. Santos-Aviles was a kind soul who devoted her life to making the community a better place,” he said. “Her efforts led to improvements in school safety, healthcare, and rural water like never before.”
“It’s shameful that [primary rival] Brandon Herrera is using a disgruntled former staffer to smear her memory and score political points, conveniently pushing this out the very day early voting started,” he added.
What happened to Regina Santos-Aviles?
Regina, who served as the regional district director for Tony (R-Texas), set herself ablaze on September 13, 2025, in Uvalde, Texas. She was subsequently transferred to a San Antonio hospital, and was pronounced dead the following morning.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office later confirmed to People that Regina died of self-immolation, which means she intentionally set herself on fire. Authorities said there was no evidence of foul play.
Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
