Honduran police arrested a Syrian woman and two Pakistanis on Saturday after determining the three were travelling illegally and presumably en route to the Untied States, a police official said.

The three were detained in the Central American country's southern Choluteca state at a highway checkpoint after having entered Honduras at a nearby border crossing with Nicaragua, the official added, declining to give his name because he was not authorized to talk about the arrests.

"The three detainees were traveling illegally and were sent to the national migration institute offices," he said.

"There were presumably headed to the United States."

Honduran police have identified the Syrian woman as 39-year-old Hanna Maissoun. The two Pakistanis are Muhammad Shafiq, 30, and Nassem Abbas, 21, police added.

It was not immediately clear what kind of identification documents, if any, the three were carrying or how long they have been in the region.

Last week, Honduran authorities intercepted six Syrian nationals travelling on doctored Greek passports, including five who had been trying to reach the United States.