Residents of the island reported that they heard explosions for more than two hours.

According to U.S. Navy officials, the Roosevelt has been dispatched to the Mediterranean Sea to join Washington’s military operations in Afghanistan by mid-February.

Although the Navy has not officially announced a new round of exercises, several other ships from the Enterprise battle group have participated in target practice.

Faced with ongoing opposition to the naval, air, and amphibious operations, U.S. Navy officials in January announced that they will stop bombing practice on the Puerto Rican island in May, and said they had found other bombing ranges in the United States.

For years the U.S. military had argued that there were no suitable alternative sites for these exercises.

Kim Dixon, a spokesperson for the U.S. Navy in Vieques, said, "The bombing range will remain open until May 1." Leaving open the possibility for extending its stay, Dixon hinted that this could change "if Washington decides it is necessary for its coming war in Iraq," the New York-based Hoy newspaper reported February 6.

Meanwhile, activists arrested during protests against the Navy’s presence in Vieques have been handed stiff sentences and fines by U.S. courts, ranging from five weeks to nearly five months.

Since the opening of the last military exercises on January 13, at least 19 people have been arrested for participating in acts of civil disobedience and other protests.  
 
 
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