Mr. Daniel Rodriguez reports

MERCADO MINERALS COMMENCES INAUGURAL 3,000 METRE DIAMOND DRILL PROGRAM AT COPALITO

Mercado Minerals Ltd. has commenced the company's inaugural 3,000-metre diamond drill program at its flagship Copalito project in Sinaloa, Mexico. The company has contracted HR Drilling SAS de CV to perform the drill program.

Highlights:

• 3,000-metre diamond drill program, approximately 25 drill holes;
• Targeting five segments of four known veins at 5 Senores, El Agua, La Chiva and El Pilar;
• Initial drill testing of El Medio and Chente veins.

Chief executive officer comment

Daniel Rodriguez, chief executive officer and director, commented: "We are excited to be launching the next phase of exploration at Copalito with this 3,000-metre drill program targeting several segments of known mineralized veins across the project. The program is designed to build on the 81 historical drill holes completed by the previous operator while also testing new areas that remain largely unexplored.

"This work will help improve our understanding of the structural controls on silver-gold mineralization and guide future drill targeting across both known and newly identified veins, unlocking the broader potential of the project. Our team has been working non-stop on the ground at Copalito since mid-January, and I look forward to returning to site as drilling advances and sharing results from the program over the coming months."

Drill program

The drill program is designed to test high-priority targets on known veins and follow-up on 81 diamond drill holes completed by the previous operator. Only 60 per cent of the known veins have been drilled to an average depth of 100 metres. The goal of this initial 3,000-metre diamond drill program is to test several segments of the known veins at 5 Senores, El Agua, La Chiva and El Pilar to determine possible structural controls on the strength of silver-gold-bearing vein mineralization. Holes will target areas of potential thickening of vein mineralization and higher grades, as well as stepping out along strike and to depth in several areas. A recent lidar and high-resolution airborne magnetic survey with mapping and planning has assisted in organizing drill hole locations.

Qualified person

The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 (Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects), and was reviewed and approved by Kelson Willms, PGeo, of Archer, Cathro & Associates (1981) Ltd. Mr. Willms is a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101.

About Mercado Minerals Ltd.

Mercado is a silver-focused exploration company targeting the next world-class discovery in Mexico's emerging Western silver belt, part of the prolific Sierra Madre Occidental mining district. With a proven team boasting extensive experience in Mexican exploration, Mercado is actively advancing multiple projects across more than 3,000 hectares. The company is committed to creating shareholder value through disciplined exploration, strategic growth and discovery-driven results.

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