Lummi Nation Member Indicted for Federal Assault by Strangulation

Marc Cagey Oreiro, a 48-year-old member of the Lummi Nation, was arraigned in federal court on charges of assault by strangulation against his former partner on May 23, 2025. Oreiro allegedly assaulted the victim in the master bedroom of a home on Lummi Nation tribal land, strangling her with his hands and forearm, hitting her multiple times, kneeling on her chest, and threatening to kill her. The victim was found hiding in a closet by responding Lummi Police after a housemate called 911, and she was treated for multiple bruises and injuries. Oreiro physically resisted arrest and was previously convicted in tribal court for assaulting the same woman, violating an existing no-contact order. He pleaded not guilty to the federal charges, with a trial scheduled for August 25, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Lauren King. The case is being investigated by the FBI Safe Trails Task Force and Lummi Nation Police and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Celia Lee, who serves as a Tribal Liaison.