Official: Venezuelan general arrested in assassination plot

A supporter of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro holds up his picture during a rally in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Aug. 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

CARACAS, Venezuela -- The investigation into an assassination attempt on Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro using drones has widened to include the arrest of two high-ranking military officers, the nation's to prosecutors said Tuesday.

The list of suspects -- including an exiled opposition lawmaker -- has now risen to 34 and officials are seeking arrests in Colombia, Peru and the United States, Attorney General Tarek William Saab said.

"There are 14 detainees who have been presented and charged before the criminal courts," he said.

Officials say an assassination plot involved two drones loaded with plastic explosives that detonated near Maduro as he spoke Aug. 4 at a military celebration in the capital of Caracas.

The first explosion in front of the grandstand caused hundreds of soldiers standing in parade formation to scatter. Seven soldiers were injured, but Maduro and several senior officials nearby were unharmed.

Saab said that the two detained officers include a general in the Venezuelan National Guard.

A 29-year-old opposition lawmaker, Juan Requesens, is also under arrest and charged with treason and attempted homicide. Relatives say he is jailed for being an outspoken critic of Maduro's government, but that he never participated in a crime.

Venezuelan officials are asking Colombia to extradite Julio Borges, a prominent opposition lawmaker living in Bogota.