2 Detained in Puerto Rican Navy Range

The Puerto Rican Independence Party leader and an activist slipped past Marines guarding the Navy’s Vieques training ground and were arrested Wednesday, hours before a Navy destroyer shelled the range using nonexplosive ordnance.

Ruben Berrios and activist Jorge Fernandez Porto entered the island bombing range before dawn and were stopped at 9 a.m. by Marines.

Berrios and Fernandez were charged with trespassing on federal property, a misdemeanor, and released from the federal courthouse in San Juan on their own recognizance. U.S. Magistrate Jesus Castellanos warned them they could face contempt-of-court charges if they reenter the base.

Berrios--who insisted he didn’t recognize the court’s jurisdiction--could face jail time and a fine on the trespassing charge. No trial date was set, said Rosa Emilia Rodriguez, spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office.

“I refuse to accept any condition from the court,” Berrios told about 100 supporters outside. “If I want to, and if we decide to go to Vieques, we go--but first, the trial.”

At 11 a.m., the destroyer Stump fired nonexplosive rounds in the first ship-to-shore shelling at the Atlantic Fleet range in more than a year. The shelling, which lasted about two hours, complied with a presidential order allowing the Navy to resume limited operations on Vieques using nonexplosive ordnance, said Navy spokesman Bob Nelson. Puerto Rico’s government was notified at least 15 days ago of the event.

“Today’s training was completed safely, professionally and without incident,” Nelson said.

Two Navy A-4 Skyhawks dropped 12 “dummy” bombs Monday, fulfilling a Navy pledge to resume operations despite protesters’ claims that some colleagues were still on the range.

Berrios, 60, had camped on the range for nearly a year, helping lead protests against Navy training before he and 223 others were removed in a federal operation that began May 4.

The detainees were released without charges, but anyone entering now faces tough penalties: up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine under a new order issued by President Clinton.

Berrios “is violating the imperialist law in order to comply with the law of his fatherland,” said Independence Party Sen. Manuel Rodriguez Orellana.

Protesters occupied the range in April 1999 after a civilian security guard was killed by stray bombs. They say decades of bombing have harmed their health and the environment and stunted tourism.

The Navy disputes those arguments and says Vieques is the only place where the Atlantic Fleet can hold simultaneous air, land and sea training. Clinton and Puerto Rican Gov. Pedro Rossello agreed in January to let the Navy resume limited training.