Mercado Minerals signs LOI to acquire La Franca at Zamora, samples 1.53 kg/t Ag, 1.39 g/t Au over 1.00 m

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 18, 2026) - Mercado Minerals Ltd. (CSE: MERC) (OTCQB: MRMNF) (" Mercado " or the " Company ") is pleased to announce the signing of a Letter of Intent (" LOI ") to purchase the La Franca concession (" La Franca ") surrounded by Mercado's Campanillas concession on the Zamora project in Sinaloa, Mexico. Once a Definitive Agreement is signed, it is structured as a three year option agreement to acquire 100% subject to a 2% Net Smelter Return Royalty (" NSR " or " Royalty "). Consolidation of the Campanillas area unlocks 750 metres of mineralized veining that has never been drill tested. High grade silver and gold surface chip sampling results from La Franca returned multiple high-grade intervals, including 1.00 metre of 1.53 kg/t silver and 1.39 g/t gold (1501 g/t AgEq 1 ) and 0.80 metre of 534 g/t silver and 3.58 g/t gold (757 g/t AgEq) .

Highlights:

Consolidation of the La Franca and Campanillas concessions unlocks 750 metres of combined vein strike extent of high-grade silver and gold mineralization that has never been drill tested

2026 chip Sampling from the La Franca segment of the vein returned:

1.00 metre of 1530 g/t silver and 1.39 g/t gold (1501 g/t AgEq)

0.80 metre of 534 g/t silver and 3.58 g/t gold (757 g/t AgEq)

3.00 metres (true width) of 229 g/t silver, and 1.12 g/t gold (295 g/t AgEq)

Historic Samples from the La Franca segment of the vein returned:

1,720 g/t silver and 12.96 g/t gold (2,530 AgEq) in a stope wallrock grab sample

460 g/t silver and 2.90 g/t gold (634 AgEq) in a 42 kg blended underground grab sample

The Company intends to initiate the process to apply for permits to drill test Campanillas - La Franca immediately

CEO Comment

Daniel Rodriguez CEO & Director commented:

"The 2026 results at La Franca, together with the histo