MIAMI, April 19 — The US Coast Guard unloaded eight tons of drugs worth $62.5 million (RM259.8 million) yesterday at a port in the southeastern state of Florida, having seized them in international waters off the coasts of Mexico, Central America and South America.

The cargo — close to 6.3 metric tons of marijuana and 1.7 metric tons of cocaine, worth US$12.5 million and US$50 million respectively — were offloaded at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, north of Miami.

The drugs were confiscated over five different operations from boats suspected of smuggling narcotics, the Coast Guard said in a statement.

"It is through successful interdictions, such as the ones we are offloading today, that impact these criminal organizations,” said Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander Andrew Dennelly.

In its fiscal year 2017, the Coast Guard confiscated more than 223.8 metric tons of cocaine alone, a 21 per cent increase from the previous year, according to its annual performance report. — Reuters