The US government has recovered more than 300 documents with classified markings from former president Donald Trump's Florida estate, including material from the CIA, the National Security Agency and the FBI.

An initial batch of more than 150 documents marked as classified was recovered by the US National Archives in January, the New York Times reported on Monday, citing multiple people briefed on the matter. 

Aides to Trump gave the US Justice Department a second set in June, while a third batch was seized in an FBI raid earlier this month, it said.

The Times reported that Trump himself went through some of the boxes, believed to be containing variety of topics of national security interest, in late 2021, according to multiple people briefed on his efforts, before turning them over to the Archives.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Representatives for the former president did not immediately provide comment.READ MORE:Explainer: Why is Trump facing a presidential records probe?

Trump sues justice department

Trump asked a federal court on Monday to temporarily block the FBI from reviewing the materials it seized on August 8 from his Mar-a-Lago home until a special master can be appointed to oversee the review.

The search is part of a federal investigation into whether Trump illegally removed documents when he left office in January 2021 after losing the presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden.

During its search, the FBI seized 11 sets of classified materials at Mar-a-Lago, some of which were labelled "top secret" – the highest level of classification reserved for the most closely held US national security information and which can only be viewed in special government facilities.

READ MORE:Trump asks court for neutral oversight of FBI review of Mar-a-Lago files