DENVER — The Colorado State Patrol says its immigration unit has arrested nearly 800 suspected illegal immigrants and investigated 33 human smuggling cases since it became operational last year.

The figures were released Friday.

The Immigration Enforcement Unit has 23 troopers around the state whose primary responsibility is investigating illegal immigration and human smuggling.

Patrol Sgt. Todd James says the troopers get four weeks of special training. He says the 23 officers aren’t enough to patrol the entire state.

The Legislature established the unit in 2006, authorizing the patrol to hire additional troopers so its other duties would not suffer. It became operational in July 2007.

Colorado was the 17th state to form such a unit.