WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal officials say National Guard troops will begin heading for the southwest border Aug. 1 to help secure it.

The troops will train and be fully deployed by September and should be on the border for a year. They will be stationed in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas.

The 1,200 Guard troops are being deployed as drug-related violence continues in Mexico. Several people were killed over the weekend in Mexico in a car bombing and a separate massacre at a private party. Officials say the U.S. side of the border is more secure and has more resources than ever.

Guard troops will help Border Patrol keep a lookout for smugglers and illegal border crossings. They also will help in investigations and intelligence gathering.

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