He said that an innocent error – a detail missing in his visa application – led to him being treated like the “worst criminal.”

“I believe in respecting the rules. But putting someone in federal prison over a missing detail in a visa application? That’s crazy,” he wrote.

The Australian coach is now considering legal action over the treatment he faced in the US. “Now I’m back in Australia, I’ll speak with my lawyers something has to be done about the way I was treated. Hope this never happen to nobody else,” he said.

Ordeal in the US

Renato Subotic landed in the US excited to coach a seminar. His excitement soon turned to fear when he was stopped at the border.

“Immigration pulled me aside and took me into an isolated room. The officer interviewing me looked like he was looking for something wrong. It was obvious why I was in the US. I gave them every specific detail about my seminar, my plans, everything,” he claimed in his Instagram post.

Unconvinced, the immigration officers questioned him for over three hours.

“They told me there was a mistake with my visa and that they were taking me to jail ‘until they figure out what’s next.’ Just like that. No clear explanation, no chance to talk to anyone, no rights,” said the Australian MMA coach.

Renato Subotic was handcuffed and driven to a federal prison, where his ordeal was only beginning.

“Stripped me of everything”

At the federal prison, Subotic says he was “stripped of everything” and given jail clothes. “They stripped me of everything. Took my clothes, gave me jail clothes, fingerprinted me, took photos, searched me. Gave me a blanket and sheet,” he recalled.

He was taken to his block, where he witnessed utter chaos. In his post, Subotic revealed he saw people running around, arguing over food, and screaming. He was led to a blood and urine-soaked mattress where he dropped his stuff and was then taken to get something to eat.

When he walked back to his cell, he saw two “Mexicans” stealing his belongings. Confronting them led to a fight. “We had a fight. I got my stuff back. The other one ran out of the cell, screaming, the people in the nearby cells came to watch what was going on. When the guards rushed up, no one said anything,” said Subotic.

The fight marked him as a target. Romanian inmates next door warned him the men were part of a gang and that retaliation was likely. Amid the tension, a Venezuelan inmate approached him, recognised him as a fighter, and offered both advice and solidarity, explaining the prison hierarchy and inviting him to join a Christian prayer group.

That night, Subotic attended the Christian prayer group. He was welcomed warmly. However, back in his cell, things were different.

“I went back to my cell, exhausted. But when I walked in, I saw my cellmate and realized he was one of the two guys who tried to steal my blanket earlier,” he explained.

Subotic did not sleep a wink that night.

“I couldn’t close my eyes. You heard people screaming. You felt what could be happening in those cells, rape, beatings, worse,” he wrote. “I didn’t trust my cellmate. I didn’t sleep a second.”

Deportation

At 6am the next day, he was woken up by a prison guard and told that he would be leaving in a few hours. He described the prison breakfast as “disgusting” oats and milk he could barely swallow.

“The Mexican guy I’d beat up was still staring at me, like he wanted revenge. But he was out of time,” he said.

When it was time, the guard called out six names, including Subotic’s. He was being released, while the other five inmates had court appearances due.

His clothes were returned to him before he was again handcuffed and driven to the airport. At the airport, he was kept in a room without being given any information.

“Eventually, I got the info: I was being deported,” he said.

An officer apologised to Subotic, admitting that “They messed up big. It shouldn’t have gone this way.”

The Australian MMA coach described the whole experience as “unreal” and slammed the US authorities for the way he was treated.

“It’s insane how easily someone can take away your freedom, lock you in a federal prison, without a clear reason. No explanation. No warning. Just like that, you’re treated like the worst criminal,” he said.