{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/news-ballistics-technology-heinrich-secured-helps-law-enforcement-identify-suspect-in-roswell-murders", "NEWS: Ballistics Technology Heinrich Secured Helps Law Enforcement Identify Suspect in Roswell Murders", "2026-09-09", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "NM", "Martin Heinrich", "H001046", "www.heinrich.senate.gov", "heinrich", "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Heinrich secured more than $1 million to expand NIBIN technology across New Mexico, including a new machine in Roswell that investigators used to connect ballistic evidence in multiple homicides\n\nROSWELL, N.M. \u2014 U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) today highlighted the critical role that new ballistics testing machines he secured helped law enforcement identify and arrest a suspect accused of two murders in the community.\n\nAccording to the New Mexico Department of Justice, the Roswell Police Department used the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) machine to identify a connection between ballistic evidence recovered in two of the homicides and a firearm recovered from the suspect\u2019s home.\n\n\u201cThis is exactly why I fought to bring this technology to communities like Roswell,\u201d said Heinrich. \u201cWhen someone commits a violent crime with a firearm, law enforcement needs every possible tool to identify that weapon, connect it to other crimes, and get a dangerous criminal off the streets before they can hurt anyone else. That is what these investments are designed to do \u2014 help law enforcement solve crimes faster and keep New Mexicans safe.\u201d\n\nIn the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Appropriations process, Heinrich secured more than $1 million to purchase four new NIBIN machines for law enforcement agencies in Roswell, Las Cruces, Farmington, and Gallup. The investment expanded access to advanced ballistic intelligence beyond Albuquerque and Santa Fe and established a statewide network connecting local law enforcement agencies with the New Mexico Department of Justice\u2019s Crime Gun Intelligence Center.\n\nBefore Heinrich secured the funding, New Mexico had only three NIBIN machines \u2014 two in Albuquerque and one in Santa Fe. The new Roswell machine has given law enforcement in southeastern New Mexico direct access to the technology, eliminating the need to transport evidence long distances for testing.\n\nNIBIN machines use highly technical imaging to analyze the markings left on spent cartridge casings and determine whether they are associated with other firearms-related crimes. That information is shared with the New Mexico Department of Justice\u2019s Crime Gun Intelligence Center, where trained analysts can identify connections between crimes, firearms, and suspects and provide intelligence back to local law enforcement.\n\nThe New Mexico Department of Justice has credited Heinrich\u2019s federal investment with helping establish the statewide Crime Gun Intelligence Center, which uses forensic firearm evidence to find connections between crimes across New Mexico. The four new NIBIN machines are located in Roswell, Farmington, Gallup, and Do\u00f1a Ana County. Since the machines were installed, the Crime Gun Intelligence Center has processed more than 2,000 ballistic acquisitions, generating leads in over 527 criminal incidents across New Mexico, with 41% resulting in an arrest.\n\nHeinrich also secured language in the FY2024 Appropriations bills directing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to expand access to NIBIN for state and local agencies in the Southwest Border region.\n\nBackground on Heinrich\u2019s work to support law enforcement\u2019s ability to solve violent crime and keep New Mexicans safe:\n\nHeinrich has made securing resources for New Mexico law enforcement and first responders a priority on the Senate Appropriations Committee. Through the FY2022, FY2023, and FY2024 appropriations processes, Heinrich delivered $48.9 million for law enforcement and first responders across New Mexico.\n\nIn October 2024, Heinrich previously highlighted the machines as a critical tool for helping law enforcement \u201csolve the crimes that happen before those same criminals can do more harm\u201d in Las Cruces.\n\nThe New Mexico Department of Justice\u2019s Crime Gun Intelligence Center now uses the network of NIBIN machines to connect firearm evidence from crimes across the state, helping investigators identify suspects, witnesses, and patterns that might otherwise go undetected.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-10T09:25:58Z", "2026-09-10T09:27:09Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/news-ballistics-technology-heinrich-secured-helps-law-enforcement-identify-suspect-in-roswell-murders"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8828481659293175, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}