The Mexican navy announced on Saturday it had seized more than 8.3 tonnes of drugs in the Pacific Ocean, a record for a single operation at sea.

"Navy personnel seized 8,361 kilogrammes of illicit cargo, which represents the largest amount of drugs seized in a maritime operation, unprecedented in history," said a statement from the Ministry of the Navy.

It did not specify the type of the drugs, but said they were valued at 2.099 billion pesos (US$105 million).

Twenty-three people were arrested during the bust which took place southwest of the port of Lazaro Cardenas, off the western coast of Mexico.

The drugs were distributed in six small boats and one of the vessels was a submersible, which implied a "complex" action on the part of the sailors, added the ministry.

The largest drug seizure in Mexico's history was 23 tonnes of Colombian cocaine in November 2007.

Mexico has for decades been the hub of drug trafficking to the United States, with a large number of cartels fighting for control of the trade.

The state of Michoacan, off the coast of which the seizure took place, is the scene of clashes between criminal gangs, including the powerful Jalisco Nueva Generacion cartel, one of Mexico's most powerful and violent criminal groups. (AFP)