alertear

An informal variant of alertar heard in everyday speech in parts of Latin America, especially Mexico — same basic meaning, to warn or alert, but with a more casual, spoken register. Standard written Spanish still favors alertar.

• Alerteamos a los vecinos apenas vimos el humo. — We warned the neighbors as soon as we saw the smoke.
• Alguien alerteó al grupo por el chat. — Someone gave the group a heads-up over chat.
• Hay que alertear a todos antes de que sea tarde. — Everyone needs to be warned before it's too late.

Using alertear in formal writing — it's a colloquial, spoken-register variant; alertar is the word to reach for in anything written or official.

Often confused with alertar.