Zacatecas Silver receives drill permit for El Cristo

Executive Summary

• Zacatecas Silver Corp. has received the necessary drill permit from SEMARNAT for the El Cristo vein system, a priority target at its wholly owned Zacatecas silver project in Mexico.
• The approval enables the commencement of a 2026 drill program aimed at testing high-priority targets to potentially define a maiden silver resource at El Cristo and expand the existing inferred resource at Panuco.
• The total planned drilling is 4,000 metres, with approximately 2,800 metres allocated to El Cristo and the remainder to Panuco, fully financed via a contract with Major Drilling.

Key Details

• Permit Approval: Received from Mexico's environmental authority (SEMARNAT) for the El Cristo vein system exploration program.
• 2026 Drill Program Scope:
  • Total allocation: 4,000 metres.
  • El Cristo allocation: Approximately 2,800 metres.
  • Panuco allocation: Remaining metres (approx. 1,200 metres).
  • Start date: Expected to commence in the coming weeks.
• Strategic Objectives:
  • Expand resource-defining potential by testing along-strike and down-dip extensions.
  • Follow up on historical and prior drilling results showing strong silver-base metal mineralization.
  • Target new zones to contribute to a future resource.
• El Cristo Historical Results (2022 Maiden Drilling):
  • Hole CRI-2022-001: 9.53 metres at 175 g/t AgEq (167 g/t Ag, plus Zn/Pb).
  • Hole CRI-2022-005: 0.65 metres at 829 g/t AgEq.
  • 22 of 28 drill holes intersected silver and base metal mineralization, demonstrating continuity over more than three kilometres of strike.
• Panuco Resource Base:
  • Current Inferred Mineral Resource: 20.5 million ounces of silver equivalent (AgEq).
  • Breakdown: 19.0 million ounces of silver (Ag) and 19,200 ounces of gold (Au).
  • Tonnes/Grade: 3.41 million tonnes at 187 g/t AgEq (173 g/t Ag and 0.18 g/t Au).
• Operational Logistics:
  • Drill contractor: Major Drilling (Mexico) (TSX: MDI).
  • Surface access agreements obtained with private landowners at El Cristo.
  • Drilling at Panuco will commence upon completion of the El Cristo program.

Notable Quotes

• "Receiving the drill permit for El Cristo is a key regulatory achievement as we enter a pivotal phase of exploration... we are excited to return to El Cristo with a program designed to rigorously test its near-surface resource potential -- not just to follow up on known mineralization, but to expand our footprint in a system that could ultimately deliver significant additional silver resources for the company." — Eric Vanderleeuw, CEO
• "At Panuco, we are building on the success of the existing 20.5 million ounce AgEq inferred resource, and the combined strategy at both targets positions Zacatecas to generate meaningful exploration progress throughout 2026." — Eric Vanderleeuw, CEO