Vancouver, British Columbia – March 30, 2026 – Fuerte Metals Corporation (TSXV: FMT, OTCQB:FUEMF) (“Fuerte” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the commencement of a 40,000 m drilling program at its Coffee Gold Project (“Coffee” or “The Project”) in Canada’s Yukon Territory. Coffee hosts 3.0 million ounces (“Moz”) of gold in open-pit heap-leach Measured and Indicated Resource and an Inferred Resource of 0.8 Moz of gold.  The drilling program will initially focus on infill drilling to convert a portion of the 0.8 Moz of Inferred gold resources to the Indicated category, for inclusion in the Feasibility Study being carried out by G Mining Services and scheduled for completion in late 2026. Subsequent drilling will test other exploration targets on the property.

The Coffee Gold Project is located approximately 130 km south of Dawson in Canada’s Yukon Territory (Figure 1). The project is situated within the prolific Yukon- Tanana Terrane (YTT), and within the wider Tintina Gold Province, which hosts numerous multi-million-ounce deposits and producing mines including Kinross’ Fort Knox Mine and Snowline’s Valley deposit. The lack of glaciation in the Yukon has allowed for the preservation of extensive oxide ore deposits such as Coffee and the nearby Casino copper-gold deposit.

Tim Warman, CEO of Fuerte Metals stated: “The Coffee Project has been a transformative acquisition for Fuerte, and we are rapidly advancing the project towards a construction decision in early 2027. This drilling program is an integral part of that process and is aimed at building up the Measured and Indicated resource base for inclusion in the Feasibility Study currently underway. The program will begin at the Supremo Extension zone, which is currently one of the highest-grade portions of the Coffee deposit. Because Supremo Extension is a more recent discovery, the drilling density is lower, and the bulk of the resource is currently classified as Inferred, so an early goal of the drilling program is to convert a significant portion of that resource to the Indicated category.”

The Coffee project is on a clear path to complete permitting and has strong financial and technical partners who have the vision to advance the project to production and build the next great Canadian gold producer. We respectfully acknowledge that protection of the water and lands around the Coffee Creek and mine project area is of high importance to First Nations and to Fuerte. Through cooperation, transparency, and respect, we pledge to continue to build on relationships with Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in, White River First Nation, Selkirk First Nation, and the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun, whose Traditional Territories overlap or partially overlap with the project access road, and areas where exploration and mining activities may occur. We look forward to advancing Coffee to production and building a new Canadian gold producer, creating significant shareholder value and benefitting Fuerte’s stakeholders in the Yukon and beyond.

Coffee Project Mineral Resource Estimate

The 2025 Coffee Gold Project Mineral Resource Estimate (“MRE”) is summarized in Table 1

Table 1: 2025 Coffee Gold Project Mineral Resource Estimate

Notes to Table 1

1. Economic parameters used in the resource are a gold price of US$2,500/oz; heap leach average recoveries for the individual metallurgical domains of 86.3% for Oxide, 76.0% for Upper Transition, 54.5% for Middle Transition and 31.4% for Lower Transition; a mining cost of C$3.27-$3.50/t, processing costs of C$6.64/t, and general and administrative costs of C$6.0/t. A CAD:USD exchange rate of 1.35 was also assumed.
2. The calculated cut-off grades vary between 0.13 g/t Au and 0.48 g/t Au, depending on the metallurgical domain. The global weighted average cut-off grade is 0.18 g/t Au, with domain tonnage contributions comprising 64% Oxide, 18% Upper Transition, 5% Middle Transition, and 13% Lower Transition.
3. Pit slope angles vary between 45.0 and 48.8 degrees depending on the pit area.
4. Pit optimization was done on 12x12x10 m re-block model with a minimum of 4x4x5 m regularized SMU.
5. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest for thousand tonnes and ounces. Differences may occur in totals due to rounding.
6. The mineral resources described above have been prepared in accordance with the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Standards and Practices.
7. Messrs. Alan J. San Martin, P.Eng. and Charley Murahwi, P.Geo. from Micon International Limited are the Qualified Person (QP) for this Mineral Resource Estimate.
8. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves as they have not demonstrated economic viability. The quantity and grade of reported Indicated and Inferred mineral resources in this news release are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define any measured resource; however, it is reasonably expected that a significant portion of Inferred Mineral Resources could be upgraded into Indicated Mineral Resources with further exploration.
9. Micon's QPs have not identified any legal, political, environmental, or other factors that could materially affect the potential development of the mineral resource estimate.

Figure 1- Location Map of the Coffee Deposit

Resource Conversion Program

Resource conversion drilling will be initially focused on the Supremo Extension zone (Figure 2) which currently hosts an Indicated resource of 2,437 kt @ 1.18 g/t for 92 koz Au, and an Inferred Resource of 6,059 kt @ 1.72 g/t for 335 koz Au. The Inferred grade is significantly higher than the 1.15 g/t Au grade of the overall Coffee resource estimate and thus provides a compelling target for converting high-grade ounces to the Indicated category of the resource base.

Drilling has begun with two reverse circulation (“RC”) rigs, which are better suited for drilling in the early, colder part of the drill season. An additional three diamond drill rigs will be added to the project in June with the program continuing at least through September. Depending on results, the program may be expanded as the season progresses to follow up on positive drill intercepts.

Figure 2 – The Coffee Deposit with principal resource zones, drilling and pit shells

Regional Exploration Program
On completion of the resource conversion phase of the program, the drilling will turn to testing of targets outside of the current resource base, both at Coffee and at other outlying targets defined by soil geochemistry and geophysical surveying (Figure 3). These targets include Latte (additional infill and extension), Deep Supremo (oxide extensions at depth), Cappuccino (early-stage drill target), Kazaar (early-stage drill target), and the large copper-gold soil anomaly at Sugar.

Figure 3 – The Coffee Property with Regional Exploration Targets

Qualified Persons
Messrs. Alan J. San Martin, P.Eng. and Charley Murahwi, P.Geo. from Micon International Limited are the Qualified Persons (QPs) who prepared the Coffee Gold Project Mineral Resource Estimate. Micon International Limited is independent of Fuerte as defined by Section 1.5 of NI 43-101. The 2025 Coffee Technical Report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report for the 2025 Mineral Resource Estimate Update on the Coffee Gold Project, Yukon, Canada" can be found on the Company's website at www.fuertemetals.com, as well as on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca.

Mr. Charlie Ronkos, MMSA is Fuerte’s EVP Exploration and the Qualified Person who has approved the technical information disclosed in this release.

About Fuerte Metals Corporation
Fuerte is a Canadian exploration and development company focused on advancing high-potential precious metals and base metals projects across the Americas. Our flagship asset is the 100%-owned Coffee Project in the Yukon, Canada — a high-quality gold project advancing through the final stages of permitting, engineering, and resource expansion drilling in preparation for a construction decision. Coffee hosts 3.0 million ounces of open-pit heap-leach Measured and Indicated Resource and an Inferred Resource of 0.8 million ounces. We respectfully acknowledge that protection of the water and lands around the Coffee Creek and mine project area is of high importance to First Nations and to Fuerte. Through cooperation, transparency, and respect, we pledge to continue to build on relationships with Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in, White River First Nation, Selkirk First Nation, and the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun, whose Traditional Territories overlap or partially overlap with the project access road, and areas where exploration and mining activities may occur. In addition to Coffee, Fuerte holds a portfolio of copper and gold assets, including the Placeton–Caballo Muerto Project in Chile and the Cristina and Yecora Projects in Mexico, offering additional growth and exploration upside. At Fuerte, we are committed to building value through disciplined project development, responsible stewardship of the land, a safety-focused culture, and creating long-term returns for shareholders.

Additional Information
For more information, please contact:
Tim Warman, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Fuerte Metals Corporation
Email: info@fuertemetals.com

Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the resource estimate at the Company’s Coffee project; the drilling program at Coffee and the potential for MRE growth; future development plans; and the business and operations of the Company. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to business integration risks; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets; results of exploration; the economics of processing methods; change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations pressures, cave-ins and flooding); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of and increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties.

There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the Policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.