EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) -- Authorities arrested a total 78 people during the weekend in Texas' Rio Grande Valley as part of Operation Pick-Off, a multi-agency effort targeting criminal immigrants, prosecutors announced Monday.

During a new conference, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Nicholas J. Ganjei said the individuals were taken into custody for various immigration-related violations, adding that several have begun to make their appearances before U.S. magistrate judges in McAllen and Brownsville.

Operation Pick-Off took place in the counties of Cameron, Willacy, Hidalgo and Starr.

“For those that want to come to this country without permission and then victimize American citizens once here, we are more than happy to accommodate them with a stay at a federal

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