Protesters break down fence at Vieques range, are repelled by Navy security; FBI to investigate.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Navy said Friday that between 40 and 50 Puerto Rican protesters breached a security fence at the Vieques bombing range just before midnight Thursday night, and pelted Navy security forces armed with riot gear with rocks and bottles, before being driven away with pepper spray.

Some protesters returned Friday morning and threw rocks at Navy construction engineers who were repairing a section fence that had been torn down the night before.

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The two incidents occurred about one and one half miles north of the main gate of Camp Garcia, on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, where the U.S. Navy has a training facility and bombing range.

In the first incident, five sailors were hurt, sustaining cuts and bruises, and two government vehicles were damaged. One had a windshield smashed out.

"The Navy views this as an outrageous criminal act that is taken very seriously," said Lt. Jeff Gordon, spokesman for the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command.

Gordon said the Navy security officers who were called to the scene last night videotaped the protesters, and will be giving the videotape to the FBI. Any protesters who can be identified with be charged with criminal offences.

The Navy is also consulting with the Puerto Rican police, which has responsibility for keep protesters away from the Navy base, on how better to secure the fence line.

Since the U.S. government reclaimed the training area from demonstrators in May, some 695 people have been detained on Navy property.

The Navy says most of those people are not from Vieques, but from the Puerto Rican mainland, and many are members of the Puerto Rican Independence Party.

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